Midlands Junior Ministers Emitted Over 22.5 Tonnes Of Carbon Last Year

Thursday, 19 May 2022 13:32

New analysis shows who had the highest and lowest carbon footprints.

The junior ministers from the midlands emitted over 22 and half tonnes of carbon while carrying out their official duties last year.

thejournal.ie has been analysing data provided by each government department.

It found Junior Enterprise Minister Robert Troy clocked up 9.6 tonnes of CO2 equivalent last year while driving, as well as two flights on the government jet and another 25 commercial flights. 93% of of the Fianna Fáil TD's mileage last year was while using two electric vehicles, a Tesla 3 and a Skoda Enyaq.

The Green Party senator's Hackett had the lowest amount of emissions of any junior minister last year, at under 1 kilogram in CO2 equivalent from a ferry journey to the COP26 summit - though her department did not specify details about her car.

The calculations found a total of over 4,000 tonnes of carbon were emitted by government ministers last year.

thejournal.ie analysis found the carbon footprint of local junior minister as follows...

Robert Troy - 9.6 tonnes
Damien English - 6.1 tonnes
Sean Fleming - 6 tonnes
Peter Burke - 0.2 tonnes (incomplete as department didn't release make or model of car)
Martin Heydon - 0.6 tonnes
Pippa Hackett - less than 1 kilogram