Social media users have harshly criticised US climate envoy John Kerry after the Daily Mail reported that the official used his private jet to attend the birthday party of former President Barack Obama. Kerry was among a plethora of guests that included director Steven Spielberg, actor George Clooney, talk show host Oprah Winfrey, and other celebrities that attended Obama's 60th birthday bash, which was held on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts.
The State Department quickly issued a statement denying that Kerry used a private jet.
"Secretary Kerry lives on Martha's Vineyard, he did not travel there for a party. He took a ferry to Martha's Vineyard, he did not fly commercial or private", a State Department spokesperson said.
"Secretary Kerry lives on Martha's Vineyard, he did not travel there for a party. He took a ferry to Martha's Vineyard, he did not fly commercial or private", a State Department spokesperson said.
Pictures published by the Daily Mail appear to suggest the contrary. One of them shows Kerry getting off a plane.
Another photo shows him walking next to a sign reading "Martha's Vineyard Airport".
The news caused anger on social media, with users accusing the climate envoy of hypocrisy.
Others attacked the official for not practicing what he preaches.
Still others mocked the climate czar and said they were not surprised by his behaviour.
Yet, there were those who said there was nothing wrong with Kerry's actions.
According to aviation firm Honeywell Aerospace, private jets emit 40 times as much carbon per passenger as regular commercial flights. In February, Fox News obtained data from FlightAware, which revealed that Kerry and his family produced 116 tonnes of carbon over the past year by using a private jet. For comparison, a typical passenger travelling on regular commercial flights produces 10 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. Recent data obtained by Fox News showed that John Kerry's private jet has made 16 flights this year alone.
As mentioned earlier, this is not the first time the climate czar's actions have raised eyebrows. Earlier this year, it became known that in 2019 he flew on a private jet to collect an award from an environmental organisation. Back then, he said he couldn't use other means of transport to get to the destination.
"If you offset your carbon, it's the only choice for somebody like me who is travelling the world to win this battle. I negotiated the Paris accords for the United States. I've been involved in this fight for years. I've negotiated with President Xi, to bring President Xi to the table so we could get Paris", Kerry told reporters.