Yes, it was that time again. Time for the great COP cop-out extravaganza as a bunch of talking heads get together for an elaborate greenie shindig that usually achieves absolutely nothing.

If you or I were to put a foot wrong by saying something clumsy about ‘climate change’ or ‘global warming’ - we'd soon be branded “deniers” or wicked right-wing enviro-bigots. But, any layperson’s suspicions or eco-misdemeanors pale into insignificance compared with the wasteful, self-indulgent, virtue-signaling non-event that has come to epitomise COP gatherings.

I will never forget the Cop26 meeting which took place in Glasgow in 2021. Freshly elected US president Joe Biden crossed the Atlantic to attend the G20 summit in Italy, closely followed by the Cop26 swaray in Glasgow.

To attend these gatherings, the US presidential circus needed a fleet of no fewer than five enormous military cargo planes as well as the president’s own “oval office on wings” (Air Force One - Boeing 747).

The whole job lot is said to have produced in excess of 2.2 million pounds of planet-shriveling carbon on a single trek across the pond. One aircraft was assigned specifically to carry special stairs for the president to board and disembark the mighty Air Force One because there was nothing available to marry up to such a gigantic aircraft at Edinburgh Airport.

As a “security measure” the presidential fleet consisted of decoys as well as “in-service” C-17 Globemasters (huge military transportation aircraft) which ferried an 85 strong presidential motorcade as well as a number of helicopters, including Marine One. Amidst the road vehicles was the heavily armoured presidential Cadillac limousine known as 'The Beast'. Not just one, but two, as a spare ‘Beast’ also made the trip just in case there was a fault with the first.

All that, just to bring an aging American president to the table. What did that achieve? Well, precisely nothing. And even if it did, Trump is about to go wild on fossil fuels. “Drill baby - drill” says America’s latterday JR Ewing.

Back at the Ranch, we've all heard Keir Starmer’s endless rhetoric about Britain’s commitment to net-zero. Yet his party sent a 470 strong delegation to this year's Cop29 meeting in Azerbaijan. A 5000 mile round trip to attend another lavish, taxpayer-funded jolly.

Sadly, it transpired to be little more than a fashionably left-wing virtue signaling fest, coming from a government representing a country that produces less than 1% of global greenhouse emissions. If every single Brit switched off every electrical appliance, extinguished every central heating boiler and binned all our cars - our sacrifice would barely be noticeable in the grand scheme of things.

But, Labour have achieved one thing. They have left many people questioning the true priorities of a government that claims to be focused on “saving the planet” whilst they themselves leave a massive carbon footprint just to show us how “green” they actually aren't!

The UK government delegation at Cop29 was far larger than that of any other European country. Official figures reveal that the UK sent a staggering 354 government officials and ministers to the summit along with an additional 116 representatives from Crown dependencies, overseas territories as well as private sector interests. This was all at the taxpayer’s expense, naturally.

Among the attendees were Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Ed Miliband who leads Labour’s climate crusade. While Labour preaches austerity and levies ever higher taxes on ordinary families, its own ministers stay in luxury hotels where suites cost up to £800 a night.

All this extravagance comes amid reports that COP meetings are increasingly regarded as no more than glorified talking shops. So much so that many of the most influential world leaders opted to skip the latest Cop29 event altogether.

Let's be candid. Labour is a party that constantly lectures the public on the urgency of reducing emissions. The party has banned new UK oil and gas licenses, stopped steel manufacturing and is keen to roll out ULEZ expansions. Meanwhile, the environmental impact of Labour’s own Cop29 delegation is crazy. It's estimated that the British contingent racked up a staggering 2.3 million air miles, contributing at least 338 tons of CO2. Hardly the perfect portrayal of eco-friendliness?

The general hypocrisy was blatant because, for starters, a whole squadron of private jets as well as a host of large commercial jets headed for Baku at the start of Cop29. This makes the whole COP thing a complete waste of time, a towering pile of nonsense for all to see.

When it comes to ordinary citizens, Labour shows no mercy. Starmer’s pledge to slash emissions by 81% by 2035 sounds impressive, until we examine the details. What they reveal are much higher costs for homeowners facing forced upgrades to existing gas boilers. Even our diets are being scrutinised as we're told to cut back on meat consumption. UK taxpayers will also be funding Labour’s net zero projects abroad under Ed Miliband’s latest proposals.

It wasn’t just the sheer scale of the British delegation that raised eyebrows at Cop29. UK representatives, including Keir Starmer’s own media team stayed in luxury suites at the Qafqaz Baku City Hotel where even standard rooms start at £400 a night. Some even splurged on caviar, costing up to £63 an ounce as our contingent of champagne socialists rubbed shoulders with Azerbaijan’s elites.

A total of 66,778 delegates descended upon Baku this year, yet former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recently declared that the whole COP process is “no longer fit for purpose.”

When you think about it, was it ever wise to leave environmental issues in the hands of politicians? Let's be honest, when it comes to COP, how many different agendas could there possibly be in one place?

Think about it. Some politicians believe they can use environmental issues to win votes by banging the fashionable climate drum. Others arrive at these summits from oil and gas rich countries, keen to sell as much of the stuff as possible. Not surprising, because many regions rely almost solely on their oil wealth to keep their dynasties living in luxurious palaces and enjoying multi-billionaire lifestyles.

In all honesty, do politicians REALLY believe they can alter the climate simply because they decree that this world of ours ought somehow adhere to disingenuous policies dreamt up in places such as dusty Westminster backrooms? All I can say to that is - get real.

Let's not mince words, our political leaders are taking the public for fools. At a time when families are struggling, the UK government's decision to send a bloated 470 strong delegation to a lavishly pointless climate summit reeks somewhat of arrogance.

People deserve better than governments who constantly preach austerity and force tax hikes whilst they themselves put in the ritz at our expense. As the economy continues to wobble, it's ordinary families who bear the brunt of rising prices. It’s clear that some governments’ priorities lie not with the people they claim to represent, but with burnishing their own image on the global stage.

Author

Douglas Hughes is a UK-based writer producing general interest articles ranging from travel pieces to classic motoring. 

Douglas Hughes