Donald Trump has launched a blistering attack on Europe’s energy and climate policies in a fiery address to the United Nations, warning leaders they are “sleepwalking into disaster” by abandoning fossil fuels and clinging to net zero targets.
The US president said Europe was being crippled by its own “suicidal energy ideas” and claimed countries that stuck with green policies were heading for collapse.
“Both the immigration and their suicidal energy ideas would be the death of Western Europe if something is not done immediately,” he told the General Assembly.
North Sea
Trump took aim directly at Britain, accusing successive governments of squandering the North Sea’s potential.
“They essentially closed it by making it so highly taxed that no developer, no oil company can go there. They have tremendous oil left and more importantly, they have tremendous oil that hasn’t even been found yet,” he said.
“I want to stop seeing them ruining that beautiful Scottish and English countryside with windmills and massive solar panels that go seven miles by seven miles, taking away farmland.”
He praised Germany for reversing course on renewables and reopening fossil fuel and nuclear plants, saying: “They were going all green. All green is all bankrupt. That’s what it represents.”
Climate con
Climate change itself, Trump told delegates, was “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world” and the carbon footprint a “hoax made up by people with evil intentions”.
He warned: “If you don’t get away from the green energy scam your country is going to fail. Europe is in serious trouble. I love Europe, I love the people of Europe and I hate to see it being devastated by energy and immigration. This double tailed monster destroys everything in its wake.”
Pointless sacrifice
Trump argued that sacrifices made by European nations to cut emissions had been rendered meaningless by rising pollution from China.
“Europe reduced its carbon footprint by 37%… however, for all of that sacrifice and much more, it’s been totally wiped out by a global increase of 54%, much of it coming from China,” he said.
The president closed by urging nations to reject the “fake energy catastrophe” and return to traditional fuels.
“Countries that cherish freedom are fading fast because of their policies. You need strong borders and traditional energy sources if you are going to be great again,” he declared.
