OPINION:
More than 2,000 employees of the United Nations have called on their own U.N. bosses to practice what they preach when it comes to the environment and reduce their own carbon footprints.
Gasp. Might that mean the global elite would have to give up their cushy-albeit-carbon-heavy private jet travels?
Indeed, say the staff.
In an open letter to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the 2,000 or so staffers, under the header Young UN Agents for Change, wrote: “Our commitments need to be more ambitious and at least as concrete as those of the UN Member States and no-party stakeholders attending the UN Climate Action Summit. … [L]et us look at our own impact and take bold steps to address the climate emergency.”
The letter comes as Reuters reported the world body emitted roughly 2 million tons of carbon dioxide in 2018 — a carbon footprint that’s larger than what’s left behind by some entire U.N. member states, such as Malta and Liberia.
And it’s largely due to travel.
“Among 10 issues identified by Young UN are travel allowances, which … should be scrapped ’in order to disincentivize travel by UN employees and UN meeting participants motivated by financial gain,’ ” Reuters wrote.
And it’s not only the carbon footprint the U.N. needs to reel in; it’s spending on perks.
Travel allotments for each and every global body traveler can surpass $400 a day. That’s a whole lot of food. That’s a pretty cushy padding.
So what’s been the United Nations’ response to this public shaming and outing of hypocrisy? Pretty much as expected.
Political hogwash.
“The Secretary-General welcomes the initiative of Young UN on climate action in the UN system,” came a statement from Guterres’ office, Reuters reported. “The Secretary-General is committed to lead by example and calls for transformative action to address the climate crisis, including on the part of the UN system and Secretariat itself.”
In other words: We’re Big Government. We don’t have to change.
With this, it’s not so much that U.N. elite fly the friendly skies whenever, wherever and with whomever they please. Rather, it’s that these same U.N. elite who cry about carbon footprints from thee and me nevertheless don’t direct that same sort of alarmism toward themselves.
It’s hypocrisy of the worst kind. And these U.N. staffers raise a good point: If the United Nations’ notables can’t practice what they preach about the climate, they either ought to quit the practice — or quit the preaching.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley.
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