Harry and Meghan’s carbon footprint could be 26 times more than average Briton
So much for SAVING the trees! Eco-preachers Harry and Meghan’s carbon footprint could be TWENTY SIX times more than average Briton – meaning they would need to plant forest of 10,745 saplings to offset their CO2
- Former MP Norman Baker has studied their carbon footprint over a year, he says
- Couple flew 53 times in 12 months to January including 18 journeys by private jet
- They are being driven around LA in a SUV that only does 14 miles per gallon
- Their California mansion is 24 times bigger than footprint of average UK home
By Martin Robinson, Chief Reporter For Mailonline
Published: 03:02 EDT, 16 July 2020 | Updated: 04:24 EDT, 16 July 2020
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were today told to ‘cut the cr*p’ and stop lecturing people on green issues as it was claimed their carbon footprint could be up to 26 times higher than the average Briton.
The new analysis came after the couple were spotted in Los Angeles getting into a gas-guzzling SUV dubbed ‘as far from environmentally-friendly as you can get’ because it only does 14 miles per gallon.
But a study by former MP Norman Baker claims that this is the tip of the iceberg because of their regular flights, sometimes by private jet in the past year, and the heat and power needed for their 24,500sq ft eight-bed LA mansion.
Mr Baker claims the Sussexes create 215 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year – compared with the UK average of 8.3 tonnes for the average Briton – meaning almost 11,000 trees would need to be planted annually to offset their CO2 emissions.
He told The Sun: ‘The only thing green about Prince Harry are his wellies. The self-appointed eco-warrior, who likes to lecture everybody else on climate change, is in the top one per cent of people on the planet for carbon emissions. He should cut the carbon and, if not, at least cut the cr*p’.
According to his research, the couple:
- Enjoyed 53 international flights in the year to January 2020 – 18 were in private jets producing up to 20 times more CO2 than commercial flights;
- Their Cadillac SUV runs on 14 miles per gallon compared to average new UK car at 48mpg
- They have to power and heat an 24,500sq ft eight-bedroom mansion in LA – the UK average home has three bedrooms and is 914sq ft;
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are pictured in Beverly Hills on July 10 getting into a gas-guzzling SUV which has been dubbed ‘as far from environmentally-friendly as you can get’
The luxury Cadillac Escalade normally comes with a gas-guzzling six-litre engine and marked another sustainability gaffe for the couple, who have previously been slammed for preaching about saving the planet, and then flying around the world by private jet.
Earlier in 2020 they were slammed for crossing the Atlantic multiple times to complete royal duties after moving to Canada.
Meghan cradles her son Archie as they get off a private jet at Nice Airport in France last August
Each passenger on a commercial return flight to Vancouver from London creates an average of 9.1 tonnes of C02 – on a private jet this rises 49 tonnes of C02 per passenger.
The average Briton or American be responsible for 18 tonnes of C02 in an entire year.
The absolute minimum they will have created from their five flights before lockdown was 45 tonnes.
Harry and Meghan have been accused of double standards by encouraging people to cut their carbon footprint to save the planet – while regularly using private jets themselves.
Harry at Nice Airport last August during a trip to France where they stayed with Sir Elton John
The couple claim they pay to carbon offset their journeys and said their of use non-commercial planes was to ‘keep his family safe’.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their three children unwittingly added fuel to the fire when days later they took a FlyBe commercial plane soon after Harry and Meghan’s jet-setting around Europe.
The couple came under scrutiny in 2019 for their use of private jets when they travelled together. The trips were privately funded by the couple.
They also visited family friend Sir Elton John’s holiday home, but the musician revealed he had paid for the cost of the flight himself and donated to a carbon- offsetting charity.
Harry and Meghan attend the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey on March 9
Scientists recommend everyone should only be responsible for producing 1.97 tonnes of carbon per year if we want to reverse climate change by 2050.
The royal couple faced widespread criticism after using four private jets in the space of just 11 days last summer.
The journeys came soon after Harry told Meghan’s edition of British Vogue that they only want to have two children as a way of reducing their carbon footprint.
When he appeared at an event in Amsterdam soon after the private jet debacle, he refused to apologise for his private flights to Italy, France and Spain, saying: ‘I spend 99 per cent of my life travelling the world by commercial.’
Meghan, Prince Harry and one-year-old Archie have been staying at Hollywood tycoon Tyler Perry’s mega-mansion since March. The huge property is pictured on May 7
He claimed his decision to use non-commercial planes was to ‘keep his family safe’.
The Duke also insisted he ‘offsets 99 per cent’ of his carbon footprint.
Accounts reveal that the royal family’s carbon footprint from official travel nearly doubled in 2018, to 3,344 tonnes of CO2.
In the aftermath of Meghan and Harry’s private jet furore, the Queen advertised for a new director of royal travel to ensure ‘efficient’ and ‘effective’ flights.
