Ed Miliband adviser who backed levy on frequent fliers racked up 40,000 air miles in a year by travelling to 'environmental' conferences
Nigel Topping is one of six members of the Climate Change Committee, which advises Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
In February, the committee backed a 'frequent flier levy' to help reach Net Zero. This would see Britons who take the most flights, or fly the furthest distances, taxed more.
According to The Telegraph, Mr Topping attended conferences in Barbados, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the Netherlands and the US in the last 12 months.
An analysis by the newspaper showed he accrued 11 times more air miles in the last year than the average Briton.
It also found that Mr Topping's carbon footprint from flights alone was about 40 per cent more than the average Briton produces in total in a year.
Mr Miliband himself was recently criticised after it was revealed he had notched up at least 44,600 air miles since he became Energy Secretary last July.
It meant he was responsible for at least 54.2 tons of carbon emissions in nine months – more than 12 times the annual emissions of the average Briton.
Mr Topping was revealed to have attended the International Mangrove Conservation and Restoration Conference in December in Abu Dhabi.
This was held at the five-star Bab al-Qasr hotel, which boasts a private beach, infinity pool and chauffeur service.
The climate adviser was also said to have attended the UN's desertification conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, earlier the same month.
Mr Topping, who was the UK's high-level climate action champion for the COP26 summit in Glasgow in 2021, attended the Sustainable Energy For All Global Forum in Barbados last month.
Tory MP Andrew Bowie, the shadow energy secretary, said: 'This is rank hypocrisy.
'Once again we see those preaching this Mr Miliband-driven Net Zero zealotry are all too happy to impose significant burdens on others, but won't practise what they preach.
'It's one rule for them and another for everyone else. Kemi Badenoch and I have been clear that Net Zero by 2050 would involve significant cost to the country and to the consumer and it is simply not sustainable.
'It is a shame this Labour Government is still not prepared to do the same.'
The Climate Change Committee did not comment as Mr Topping's travel was not part of his work as a committee member.
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