President Trump on Tuesday claimed climate change was “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world” as he used his speech to the United Nations to bash efforts to reduce carbon emissions and move toward climate-friendly energy sources.
“It’s the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world in my opinion. Climate change, no matter what happens you’re involved in that,” Trump said at the U.N. General Assembly in New York City.
“All of these predictions made by the United Nations and many others, often for bad reasons, were wrong,” Trump continued. “They were made by stupid people that have cost their countries fortunes and given those same counties no chance for success.”
Trump called the idea of a carbon footprint “nonsense” and a “hoax made up by people with evil intentions.” And he urged nations to move away from efforts to shift their economies toward investments in clean energy.
“If you don’t get away from this green scam your country is going to fail,” Trump said. “And I’m really good at predicting things.”
The president has for years cast doubt on the effects of climate change, which experts have warned could have catastrophic environmental impacts if nations do not take steps to mitigate it. His administration has quickly moved in the early months of his second term to slash environmental regulations and put up hurdles for renewable energy projects.
Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, I’m Rachel Frazin — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.
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