Climate Changed
These Political Leaders Had the Biggest Carbon Footprint in 2018
U.S. President Donald Trump, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and China's President Xi Jinping attend a meeting at the G20 Summit in Osaka
Photographer: Brendan Smialowski / AFP / Getty Images
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Some of the most dramatic moments from last week’s G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, turned on the debate about climate change, with U.S. President Donald Trump split from his counterparts on the need for action.
But when it comes to impact on the environment, Trump isn’t the G-20 leader with the highest carbon footprint, according to an analysis of international flights taken by leaders of the group in 2018. That unwanted prize belongs to Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who traveled almost 130,000 miles last year.