Sadiq Khan’s new deputy mayor for the environment has promised to curb his use of air travel after flying 40,000 miles in two years in a previous job.
Mete Coban, a 32-year-old former Hackney councillor, was appointed to the £147,769-a-year City Hall role in July that involves him leading efforts to make London “net zero” in terms of carbon emissions by 2030.
While Hackney’s cabinet member for the environment, Mr Coban was revealed to have clocked up 40,000 air miles in two years.
He said the “majority” of trips related to his job at an organisation, My Life My Say, that aims to get young people interested in politics and democracy.
But asked by Tory assembly member Thomas Turrell at a City Hall meeting about his travel habits, Mr Coban pledged to avoid “unnecessary” flights and to “lead by example”.
He told the London Assembly’s environment comittee: “I’m very clear that the majority of those flights relate to my previous role as chief executive of My Life My Say, where we are standing up for young people across the country, but also globally, to stand up for democracy.
“I don’t make any apology for making sure I am banging the drum for young people at some of the highest institutions, including the United Nations.
“In my specific role now, of course I will be avoiding flights where I don’t need to [fly]. Most of the [previous] ones weren’t for leisure – they were for work.
“Where it’s not possible to do that, where it’s related to my role with the GLA (Greater London Authority), I will of course [continue to fly].
“But the preference will be that we are obviously able to lead by example, and that is something I am committed to.”
According to reports, Mr Coban flew to locations including Miami, Dubai, Guatemala, Istanbul, Washington DC and Malta – earning him the nickname “high carbon Coban”.
Mr Khan has also faced criticism about the extent of his air travel. He positions himself as the “greenest mayor ever” and is the co-chair of the C40 organisation of world cities committed to tackling climate change.
Mr Khan is in New York but has been accused of hypocrisy by Conservative rivals at City Hall.
During the assembly meeting, Mr Coban said his priorities were to deliver Mr Khan’s policy of making London net zero by the end of the decade.
Initiatives include “cleaning our rivers” and delivering “net zero schools” – for example, by enabling more schools to erect solar panels to cut their fuel bills.
“We are looking at options so we can help support schools to save money on their energy bills and invest it into TAs (teaching assistants) and books for children,“ Mr Coban said.
Mr Coban said he had visited 15 London boroughs in his first seven weeks as deputy mayor. But he found himself rebuked by Labour assembly member Leonie Cooper – normally an ally of Mr Khan – for apparently failing to invite the constituency assembly member to join him on each visit.
Mr Coban said he had told his City Hall officials that local decision-makers, such as MPs, council leaders and assembly members, should be invited to “every single visit that I do”.
He said: “From my understanding, everyone has been invited when we have gone out on a visit.”
Ms Cooper said that he had made visits to Islington and his “back yard in Hackney” without the Labour assembly member Sem Moema being invited.
She told him: “Is there a reason for that? It’s a bit hard for you to sit here in front of us and talk about how you would love to collaborate with us, if you can’t be bothered to invite us along to things. Even if you don’t invite us, at least let us know the visit is taking place.”
