Sadiq Khan is set to make a 12,000-mile round trip to Brazil to host a climate change conference – and will total five international trips within a matter of months.
The London mayor will make a trip to Rio in November for the 2025 C40 World Mayors Summit, due to take place at COP 30.
He is co-chair of C40, a network of almost 100 city mayors from across the world trying to reduce global warming and halve emissions by 2030.
Sir Sadiq has already made more than 20 foreign trips in the nine years that he’s been mayor since 2016 – including a trip to Paris in the last few days to meet other mayors from the group.
He is also due to visit Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa this summer after announcing last December that he would become the first London Mayor to lead a trade delegation to Africa.
The cost of the Brazil trip is being paid for by former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg’s charity, Bloomberg Philanthropies, which also contributed funding to the eco organisation.
But Thomas Turrell, environment spokesman for the City Hall Conservatives, criticised Sir Sadiq’s jet-setting ways.
He said: ‘Assembly business here in London will be delayed and clogged up as the mayor chooses his international soirees over the job Londoners elected him to do.
‘The contempt this man has for the London Assembly, and for the voters who put him there, should be enough to make him think long and hard whilst he waits to land somewhere else overseas.’
Mr Turrell pointed out Sir Sadiq hypocrisy as he ‘lectures’ the public, about the ‘evils’ of emissions while taking extravagant long-haul flights.
And Tory assembly member Neil Garratt told The Standard: ‘Nothing says climate leadership like burning thousands of gallons of jet fuel to give a speech about reducing emissions. Yet here in London, Khan’s own climate change plan lies in tatters.’
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: ‘The Mayor will attend the C40 World Mayors Summit to lead critical conversations on the direct action that London and other major global cities can take to help tackle the climate crisis while creating millions of new green jobs.
‘The Mayor reduces flights wherever possible, but as there’s no reasonable alternative for this journey, the maximum amount of Sustainable Aviation fuel (SAF) will be contributed for his flight to reduce emissions.
‘His travel and all other costs of attending the summit will be paid by C40 and not with taxpayers’ money.’
The globe-trotter has also visited India, Pakistan, the USA, Canada, and mainland Europe in his time as mayor. Last year he travelled to the Vatican to meet the late Pope Francis.
Since February 2024, he has attended the opening of the Paris Olympics and visited New York – his fourth trip to the US as Mayor.
Meanwhile his predecessor Boris Johnson made 37 international visits (34 by plane) over two terms.
Last night the mayor jollied at the Serpentine Summer Party in Kensington Gardens, where he was joined by Mr Bloomberg and A-listers Kate Blanchet and Lily Allen.
The move comes as City Hall and Bloomberg Philanthropies announced yesterday a £2.8million expansion of the Breathe London scheme of installing air quality monitors across the city to assess pollution levels.
Sir Sadiq said: ‘The C40 World Mayors Summit in Rio de Janeiro will be a defining moment for city-led climate leadership on the road to COP30.
‘Cities are already delivering practical, urgent solutions to the climate crisis: cutting emissions, creating green jobs and improving the lives of our residents.
‘In this pivotal year, I’m proud to convene a summit that will champion city leadership and send a clear message: that in the face of growing climate denial and delay, mayors are stepping up.’
Mr Bloomberg, the UN special envoy on climate ambition, said: ‘The C40 World Mayors Summit in Rio will spotlight the progress cities are making and help ensure their voices are heard at COP30.’