Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK will produce as much CO2 as an average British home does in almost a millennium, research commissioned by Pure Planet claims.
The Bath-based renewable supplier says it has used official emissions figures to estimate the carbon output of the US president’s transport configuration. It found that the emissions calculated will produce over 2,600 tonnes of CO2 – the same amount emitted by the average home in 970 years.
Theresa May raised the issue of climate change during a joint press conference with the president, who is a well-known climate change sceptic.
In 2017 Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 Paris Agreement, much to the dismay of the international community.
Speaking at the press conference today (4 June), the prime minister said: “Recognising our nations are safer and more prosperous when we work together on the biggest challenges of our time, I also set out the UK’s approach to tackling climate change and our continued support for the Paris Agreement.”
Pure Planet’s research makes for grim reading considering the government’s climate change watchdog, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), recently concluded the UK can cut greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050 but only if existing policies are ramped up, including bringing forward the date of the proposed ban on the sale of diesel and petrol vehicles
For the visit president Trump and first lady Melania arrived on one of two heavily modified Boeing 747 jets – dubbed Air Force One – with the other one reportedly carrying the president’s adult children and other officials.
Furthermore two identical seven-seat armoured limousines, dubbed The Beast, make up part of the 30-car motorcade which transports the president and his entourage in-country.
These arrive ahead of the president on US Air Force cargo planes and while the exact number varies depending on the visit and is kept secret, Pure Planet has estimated four planes were used.
Meanwhile a formation of two “Marine One” helicopters and three Chinook twin-rotor military helicopters led by a UK police helicopter were seen flying over central London yesterday (3 June).
On top of this up to 1,000 people including secret service agents, staff, military aides and members of the press accompany the president on trips and make advance visits to check security arrangements.
The CO2 estimations from Pure Planet are as follows:
- The President’s two Boeing 747s each burn 11 tonnes of fuel per hour to make the seven hour return trip from Washington DC to London which will add 979 tonnes of extra CO2 to the atmosphere.
- Four USAF heavy lift planes – such as a C-17 Globemaster – each burn around 9 tonnes of fuel per hour so flying the same route adds a further 1,600 tonnes of CO2 to the atmosphere.
- Sikorsky-S76C helicopters – a variant of Marine One – each burn around 105 gallons of fuel per hour – estimating they spend three hours in the air on each of the three days it would add an extra 7.9 tonnes of CO2
- The three chinooks each burn 358 gallons of fuel per hour – if they were to fly for approximately three hours on each of the three days that would add an extra 27 tonnes of CO2 to the atmosphere
- According to reports the Beast limousines get just under four miles to the gallon so covering an estimated 250 miles during the visit would use 568 litres of fuel and emit 1.2 tonnes of CO2
- Much of the rest of the motorcade is made up of larger SUV-type vehicles such as the Chevrolet Suburban which achieve around 16mpg. If 28 other vehicles managed this MPG it would burn 1,986 litres of fuel would dump an additional 4.3 tonnes of CO2 into our atmosphere
Last week leaders in the energy and water sectors pledged their support for the UK’s bid to host the 2020 UN Conference of the Parties climate conference (COP26).
At COP26 governments are being asked to agree on how to tackle climate change in the next decade and to spell out the action needed to meet the agreed targets set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement which commits countries to limit an increase in global warming to 2 degrees or less from pre-industrial levels.
Steven Day, co-founder of Pure Planet, said: “President Trump’s state visit is equivalent to almost a millennium’s worth of emissions from a typical home. It is a staggering large amount.
“Trump has said climate change is a Chinese hoax but this is no joke. The emissions from this state visit are vast.
“We think Trump’s administration could do more to help climate change by leading by example on this issue and committed to cutting his own emissions just like every other person can.
“It would be refreshing, both for the atmosphere and for the US, if the president led by example
“Pure Planet wants to show that it can be done. In the UK we’re providing 100 per cent renewable energy cheaper than the big six energy firms.
“We want to show that you don’t have to pay a premium to choose clean energy.”