Transport Scotland has been accused of failing to protect the environment after it emerged staff have taken almost 1,400 flights in the last five years.
According to figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats, staff took 872 domestic flights and 483 international flights between 2014/15 and 2018/19.
Over the last year, there has been a recorded increase in domestic flights although foreign trips have declined.
Last night, North East MSP Mike Rumbles accused the Scottish Government agency of failing to take heed of the climate emergency warnings.
The Lib Dem transport spokesman said: “Every public body should be working out how they can reduce their impact on the planet and Transport Scotland in particular should be leading by example.
“News of the climate emergency does not seem to have reached Transport Scotland.
“The SNP record on the environment is one of fiddling and fudging. They are still flip-flopping on Heathrow expansion, told the public they had banned fracking while arguing the opposite in court, and have utterly failed to make a dent in fuel poverty levels.”
In 2018/19, Transport Scotland officials took 197 domestic flights, up on 184 from the previous year.
There were 110 international flights taken in 2018/19, which was 45 fewer than the 155 taken the previous year but more than double the 59 taken in 2014/15.
Last night, a Transport Scotland spokesman stressed it was unavoidable to take some long-haul flights and insisted staff were “always mindful of their carbon footprint.”
He said: “International flights taken by our staff actually reduced by almost a third (110 v 155) last year. However it is sometimes unavoidable for officials to undertake overseas business visits in order to promote Scotland, strengthen international ties and advance our interests across a range of sectors.
“Our officials are always mindful of their carbon footprint and try to strike a balance between promoting our progressive policies and strategies on climate change, air quality, road safety, active travel and accessibility, and any impact on the environment. We take this very seriously and aim to use more sustainable forms of transport wherever possible.”
The spokesman added that before travelling on official business, civil servants were obliged to consider if their journey is necessary and represented good value for the Scottish Government and the taxpayer.
Business flights taken by ministers or employees are offset by a carbon levy, which collects around £40,000 a year.
The spokesman said the carbon levy was spent in a “transparent way to deliver best value for tax payers and compensate for any carbon emissions generated”.
He added: “Most recently, this has included spending on solar panels for St Andrew’s House to reduce electricity consumption.”
