The federal government spent nearly half a million dollars on accommodations alone for its delegation to the United Nations climate conference in Belém, Brazil, according to records obtained through an Order Paper question filed by Conservative MP Carol Anstey.

The records show Ottawa spent $482,800 on accommodations for COP30 delegates, part of a broader bill that exceeded $1.6 million once transportation, per diems and Canada's conference pavilion were included.

Canada sent approximately 240 delegates to the conference, drawn from Environment and Climate Change Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Agriculture Canada, Global Affairs Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Parks Canada.

According to the records reviewed by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF), one of the federal government's preferred accommodations was a property known as "Athenea's Garden," where a three-bedroom apartment cost taxpayers more than $40,000 for a 20-night stay. In another case, the government paid $1,313 per night for a one-bedroom apartment.

"You know you're spending too much money when you could have saved money by booking a penthouse with a jacuzzi," said CTF Federal Director Franco Terrazzano. "When the government spends more than a thousand dollars a night on a one-bedroom apartment in Brazil, taxpayers have every right to question whether bureaucrats are serious about helping the environment or if they're just looking for an expensive taxpayer-funded getaway."

The CTF compared the government's accommodation choices to alternative lodging options available in the area and found a three-bedroom penthouse complete with a jacuzzi and barbecue that would have cost roughly $5,000 for the same 20-night period. The organization noted that the alternative property was located closer to the conference venue than Athenea's Garden.

Beyond accommodations, taxpayers spent another $297,400 on transportation and $39,000 on per diems, averaging roughly $3,400 per delegate.

The spending did not stop there.

Records from a separate Order Paper response show Ottawa spent another $650,000 on Canada's COP30 pavilion, described by the government as a "central networking hub" intended to showcase Canadian climate leadership and innovation.

Despite Environment Canada's existing communications and digital services teams, the government also hired outside contractors at a cost of more than $310,000 to help develop and manage the pavilion's website and event programming.

According to government records, the website attracted approximately 7,300 users from launch through the end of the conference. With more than 56,000 attendees reported at COP30, only about 13 percent of conference participants visited the site.

"It’s a good bet the government can help the environment without dropping half a million dollars on a networking pavilion in Brazil," Terrazzano said. "And why does the government need to hire outside contractors to help build a website for its pavilion that barely anyone used?"

The latest revelations add to a long history of costly Canadian participation at international climate summits.

At COP26 in Glasgow, Canada sent more delegates than any other G7 country, including the United Kingdom, which hosted the event. During that conference, then-finance minister Chrystia Freeland billed taxpayers for a luxury chauffeur service between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

The federal government later spent approximately $3 million attending COP28 in Dubai, where delegates stayed at hotels including the Dubai Marriott and Premier Inn Dubai Investment Park. Records from that conference showed room costs generally ranged between $150 and $400 per night, with the most expensive suite costing $816 per night.

"There’s probably a better way for the government to fight climate change than flying a bunch of bureaucrats around the world every year burning through jet fuel and tax dollars," Terrazzano said. "Here’s a crazy idea: The government doesn’t need to fly hundreds of people to these international conferences."