Climate Czar Kerry Takes Private Jet To Accept Award — Hear His Arrogant Defense

President Joe Biden's special envoy for climate, John Kerry, has come under fire for taking a private jet to Iceland to accept an award for his work on "climate change" in 2019. Even more damaging was his defense at that time, which escaped U.S. media scrutiny until now.

Fox News has published a video of the former secretary of state saying "that was the only choice for someone like me.” He was confronted by Icelandic reporter Jóhann Bjarni Kolbeinsson at the event in Reykjavik. The Arctic Circle Round Table, organizers of the event, had also criticized Kerry's polluting flight, Iceland's RUV had reported.

Kerry was awarded the Arctic Circle Prize for being a "consistent voice pressuring the American authorities to commit to tackle environmental matters". Ironically, he flew to the island nation on his private jet, emitting up to 40 times more carbon per person than a commercial flight.

When Kolbeinsson asked if that was an environmental way to travel, Kerry said, "If you offset your carbon -- it's the only choice for somebody like me who is traveling the world to win this battle."

He gloated over his role as Obama's state secretary in signing the Paris Climate Accord. "I've been involved with this fight for years. I negotiated with [Chinese] President Xi to bring (him) to the table so we could get Paris. And, I believe, the time it takes me to get somewhere, I can't sail across the ocean. I have to fly, meet with people and get things done," clearly overlooking the option of flying commercial.

Kerry, who was picked as the presidential envoy for climate, has been vocal about the need to lower carbon emissions across the globe but that hasn't stopped his family from owning a private jet.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration registry, Kerry owns a Gulfstream Aerospace jet with a registration certificate that lasts until 2023. The jet spent around 22 hours and 22 minutes in the air over the past year, according to Fox News. The report said Kerry's jet accumulated an estimated 116 metric tons of carbon between Feb. 9, 2020, to Jan. 10, 2021.

He was also slammed for his comments on potential job losses related to Biden's $2 trillion energy plan. Kerry said energy workers had been “fed a false narrative” about what environmental policy changes would do to their jobs.

The new energy plan aims to eliminate coal, oil, and natural gas as electricity sources by 2035. The plan has raised concerns over job losses amid the COVID-19-induced slowdown.