“Our goal is always to keep the costs at a minimum if possible for such an event,” Chris Forbes, deputy minister of environment, told the House Environment committee on March 27, as first reported by Blacklock’s Reporter.
“So we'll look at the options with regards to hotels, costs ... the delegation size.”
The government spent a total of at least $1,077,126 on hotels or accommodations, $622,353 on flight tickets, $31,429 on taxi or bus services, $26,960 on food, and $4,152 on hospitality, according to an Inquiry of Ministry filed in the House of Commons. Another $10,490 was filed under “other costs.” Rooms at the resort cost ranged from $405 to US$1,127 per night, according to the Inquiry document.
The resort—boasting 13 bars, a private beach, eight swimming pools, “theme parties,” a spa, camel rides, three buffets, and a disco club—ranked low in eco-friendliness. Three months ahead of the COP27 meeting, Egypt’s Minister of Tourism gave the hotel a three Green Stars ranking—the lowest on its environmental performance rating, according to Blacklock’s Reporter.
Deltell asked environment officials why 113 members of the Canadian delegation stayed in the most expensive rooms in the Sharm El-Sheikh hotel. In response, Linda Drainville, assistant deputy minister with the environment department, cited security needs in selecting accommodation for delegates to COP27.
“These events are really secure. We have to work with the host country, we have to go to pre-authorized hotels. In this case, we use the hotel list that was provided by the host country and that is why you can see some delegations and some specific hotels,” she said. “We wanted to ensure the safety and security.”
“What measures can we take for the next conference that will be held in Dubai?“ he said in the committee meeting. ”Last time I checked it is not an inexpensive place.”
“What measures will be taken to make sure we don’t spend exorbitant amounts?”
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