Prince Harry's surprise trip to China to promote sustainable travel has backfired, generating massive carbon emissions that undermine his environmental message.
The Duke of Sussex made the long-haul journey to Shanghai to address tourism industry executives about the urgency of meeting "vital climate and conservation targets by 2030".
Harry travelled in his capacity as founder of Travalyst, a sustainable travel organisation whose motto is "changing the way we travel, for good".
However, the carbon footprint from his intercontinental flight has created an awkward contradiction with his climate advocacy message.
Prince Harry's surprise trip to China to promote sustainable travel has backfired, generating massive carbon emissions that undermine his environmental message.
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According to the carbon emissions calculator of FlightFree USA, a campaign group urging people to fly less, "avoiding this trip [Los Angeles to Shanghai] is as climate friendly as carpooling for 3.7 years".
The calculator claimed that a passenger making a return flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai would cause more emissions of greenhouse gases in a single trip than 3.5 billion people emit over the course of a year.
On average, a passenger travelling first-class on a return flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai causes the equivalent of 6.31 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
Harry addressed the Envision 2025 conference hosted by Chinese online travel company Trip telling delegates that "climate change isn't just an environmental challenge it's a critical business emergency".
Prince Harry travelled in his capacity as founder of Travalyst, a sustainable travel organisation whose motto is "changing the way we travel, for good".
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He emphasised the need to "equip travellers with the information they need to make meaningful choices".
The Duke drew on his conservation experience, saying: "I've had the privilege of working in conservation for more than 20 years and I've witnessed first-hand how tourism can be both a catalyst for positive change and a source of environmental and cultural strain."
He urged the industry to "reaffirm its commitment to being a force for good", adding: "We must never give up."
Travalyst is working with companies including Google and Skyscanner to develop an online tool that shows carbon emissions for every flight.
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The Duke of Sussex made the long-haul journey to Shanghai to address tourism industry executives about the urgency of meeting "vital climate and conservation targets by 2030".
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The aim of this "travel impact model" is to allow anyone booking flights to see a single, consistent estimate of a given flight's carbon emissions, and how that compares to a typical flight on that same route.
However, when asked by The Times, Travalyst declined to share its own model's estimates for the amount of harmful emissions caused by an average first-class return flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai.
It is not known what flight Harry took to China, though emissions could be anywhere between 10 and 100 times higher in a private jet.
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