A federal climate advisory panel that urged Canadians to walk, cycle or take transit instead of driving racked up more than $180,000 in flights — including international travel from Brazil to the United Arab Emirates — according to federal records.Blacklock's Reporter says the federally appointed Net Zero Advisory Body has spent more than $5.7 million since it was created in 2021, with travel expenses alone totaling $183,178, according to documents released through an Inquiry of Ministry. The figures were tabled in response to questions from Conservative MP Kelly McCauley (Edmonton West).Members of the panel, who work part-time advising cabinet on climate policy, are paid $450 a day while co-chairs earn $650 a day.Records show the advisory body billed flights to cities including Baku, Belem, Calgary, Dubai, Halifax, Montréal, Ottawa, Sharm El Sheik, Toronto and Vancouver.The panel has positioned itself as a key voice guiding federal climate policy and warned in a 2022 report that climate change requires urgent government action.“There is no debate,” the advisory body wrote. “The climate is changing. This is not opinion or theory.”In its 2022 submission to the federal government’s 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan, the panel called for sweeping action to cut greenhouse gas emissions, describing rising emissions as “catastrophic.”.“Canada needs action driven by a bold vision, fearless advice and decisive implementation,” the report said.Among its recommendations, the panel urged Canadians to cut down on single-occupant vehicle trips and “prioritize walking or cycling for short distances.” It also encouraged Ottawa to restrict the sale of natural gas furnaces, eliminate municipal parking and require federal departments and agencies to purchase electric vehicles.“We are confident our advice will be integral to federal decision making,” the panel wrote. “Beyond the Government of Canada, the Advisory Body can provide advice on actions that could be implemented by others such as individuals, communities, businesses and other orders of government.”The report argued that leadership from across society would be required to achieve net-zero emissions targets.“Many of the decisions and issues along the pathway to net zero will depend on leadership from all facets of Canadian society,” the panel said..Current members include Michael Bernstein, chief executive officer of Canadians for Clean Prosperity.The Toronto-based advocacy group was cited in 2021 for breaching the Elections Act after commissioning partisan campaign advertisements without registering with Elections Canada.The ads opposed the Conservative Party and the Bloc Québécois and referenced the leaders of those parties, according to then-Elections Commissioner Yves Côté.The organization also circulated a voter checklist under the banner “Fair Path Forward” stating that any credible climate plan must include a carbon tax with rebates that increase over time — a policy that matched the Liberal government’s approach at the time.
