Media contributions
1Media contributions
Title How world leaders’ high-carbon travel choices could delay climate action Degree of recognition International Media name/outlet The Conversation Media type Web Country/Territory UK United Kingdom Date 15/06/21 Description When UK prime minister Boris Johnson took a one-hour flight to Cornwall for the G7 summit, he was criticised for being the latest example of a world leader sending the wrong signals through their travel choices. Rather than being the only practical choice, or an oversight, taking the plane appeared to be deliberate and symbolic, as revealed by Johnson’s response to those questioning it:
If you attack my arrival by plane, I respectfully point out that the UK is actually in the lead in developing sustainable aviation fuel. One of the points in the 10-point plan of our green industrial revolution is to get to jet zero as well as net zero.
The message seems clear and perhaps comforting to some: behaviour change is not necessary because future technical advances and innovation will solve the climate crisis. Yet social scientists are producing more and more evidence that personal actions by politicians and other high-profile figures can have a big impact on how the rest of us view and act on climate change. Indeed, Johnson may actually slow down climate progress by signalling that behavioural changes are not on his agenda.URL https://theconversation.com/how-world-leaders-high-carbon-travel-choices-could-delay-climate-action-162784 Persons Steve Westlake
Keywords
- Climate change
- Behaviour change
- Leadership