Enviro News Asia, New York – U.S. President Donald Trump sparked fresh controversy at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday (Sept. 23, 2025) by calling climate change “the greatest con job” in world history. His statement reaffirmed his long-standing skepticism toward global environmental initiatives and multilateral efforts to address the climate crisis.
Speaking for several minutes on the topic during his nearly hour-long address, Trump criticized the European Union’s carbon reduction policies, claiming they had harmed economic growth. He also warned that countries heavily investing in renewable energy risk damaging their own economies.
“It’s the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world, in my opinion,” Trump said, adding that predictions from the UN and other organizations were “wrong” and “driven by bad motives.” He went further, calling those behind such forecasts “stupid people” who had caused their nations to “lose fortunes” and “any chance for success.”
Trump’s remarks come as the UN prepares to host a major climate summit led by Secretary-General António Guterres, aimed at urging countries to accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy. Guterres has repeatedly emphasized the financial momentum behind renewables, noting earlier this year that investments in clean energy reached $2 trillion in 2024—$800 billion more than fossil fuels, a nearly 70% increase over the past decade.
Under Trump’s leadership, the United States previously withdrew from the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement, joining only a handful of countries outside the global pact. (*)
