Officials generate emissions equal to the annual output of 350 cars during climate summit travel
The World Bank is facing backlash after its officials racked up a carbon footprint equivalent to the annual emissions of 350 cars while traveling to a United Nations climate summit in Azerbaijan last November, The New York Post has reported.
254 officials flew to Azerbaijan, generating 1,500 metric tonnes of carbon emissions
A leaked attendee list revealed that 254 World Bank officials took jets to the oil-rich nation for the 12-day summit.
Their round-trip travel from Washington, DC, to Baku produced at least 1,500 metric tonnes of carbon emissions, according to the UN’s Carbon Emissions Calculator.
Citing data from the US Environmental Protection Agency, the report noted that this level of emissions equals:
- The annual greenhouse gas output of 350 cars
- The energy consumption of 200 American homes
Critics slam the World Bank for “hypocrisy”
“This is a massive display of hypocrisy from the gilded elites of the World Bank,” said Nile Gardiner, director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at the Heritage Foundation.
“They lecture the world on environmental policy while literally living the high life in complete contradiction to everything they preach.”
A World Bank spokesperson defended the practice, stating that private jets were only used in rare cases when security, efficiency, or cost made commercial travel impractical.
Lavish travel history raises further concerns
This revelation comes after previous reports of lavish travel arrangements within the World Bank.
In November, The New York Post uncovered that senior officials booked Qatar Airways’ premium Q Suites while traveling to Azerbaijan 18 months before the summit.
Further scrutiny was drawn toward World Bank President Ajay Banga after social media posts showed his assistant, Jessica Phan, aboard a private Gulfstream jet with him.
Ms. Phan, a former Biden and Obama administration official, later deleted the images from her Instagram.
Mr. Banga also chartered a Gulfstream jet to attend the UN climate conference.
World Bank under fire for climate funding mismanagement
The World Bank has already been criticized over its handling of climate funding.
In October, British NGO Oxfam accused the institution of “losing track” of $24 billion meant for climate initiatives.
Former Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross suggested that DOGE-head Elon Musk, who has pledged to eliminate government inefficiencies, could target the World Bank’s spending.
“Luxury travel is a long-standing feature of development finance,” said former US Ambassador Joe Rogers, who served under President Ronald Reagan.
“Apparently, this is standard fare for discussing the poorest of the poor. It is absolutely appalling and a slap in the face to American taxpayers.”