On September 23, 2025, President Donald Trump delivered a forceful and controversial speech at the United Nations General Assembly, targeting climate change initiatives and clean energy policies with a barrage of criticism and skepticism. Speaking for nearly an hour—well beyond the customary 15-minute limit—Trump’s remarks drew global attention and immediate reactions from supporters and critics alike. The speech, coming during Climate Week NYC and just weeks before major climate talks in Brazil, set a sharply divergent tone from the international consensus on the urgent need for climate action.
Trump’s rhetoric was unequivocal. He labeled climate change as “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world,” dismissing the scientific consensus on global warming as a fabrication by “stupid people that have cost their country’s fortunes and given those same countries no chance for success.” According to Oilprice.com, he specifically derided predictions made by the United Nations and other international bodies, characterizing them as both wrong and economically disastrous.
Clean energy was another primary target. Trump called renewable energy “ineffective, expensive, and a financial drag,” even going so far as to call it a “joke.” He reserved particular scorn for wind turbines, which he described as “pathetic and so bad, so expensive to operate” and “the most expensive energy ever conceived.” As reported by Bloomberg and other outlets, he claimed that Europe was “being devastated by energy and immigration,” presenting these as a “double-tailed monster” that is “destroying” the continent. “You need strong borders and traditional energy sources if you’re going to be great again,” he declared, adding, “I worry about Europe, I love the people of Europe. I hate to see it being devastated by energy and immigration.”
Trump’s speech was not only notable for its content but also for its timing and context. The address took place as the world’s attention was focused on climate action, with the United Nations and Secretary-General António Guterres urging accelerated investment in renewables. The UN’s position stands in stark contrast to Trump’s, as global investments in wind and solar power now outpace those in coal, oil, and gas. Independent energy analysts, cited by The New York Times, confirm that wind and solar are among the cheapest forms of energy in many parts of the world, with renewables already delivering meaningful returns and emissions reductions.
Yet, Trump’s administration has firmly prioritized traditional energy sources. As detailed by The New York Times, the United States under Trump withdrew from the Paris Agreement on his first day in office—making it the only country to exit the voluntary pact among nearly 200 nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. His administration has also rolled back federal incentives for wind and solar, removed climate-science data from government websites, and commissioned reports downplaying the dangers of climate change. Trump has signed executive orders to expand coal mining and burning, and the U.S. has become the world’s leading exporter of natural gas and the largest oil producer. He has actively encouraged further development of these industries, even securing a pledge from the European Union to purchase $250 billion in U.S. energy annually through the rest of his term in exchange for some tariff relief.
Trump’s attacks on clean energy are widely seen as part of an effort to derail the European Union’s legally binding targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to stoke political backlash against Europe’s clean energy advances. He criticized countries such as Germany and Britain for their expansion of renewable energy infrastructure, claiming that these policies were leading them “down a very sick path both on immigration by the way and energy.”
The president’s speech, however, did not go unchallenged. Gina McCarthy, former United States climate policy director in the Biden administration, issued a scathing response: “Trump continues to embarrass the U.S. on the global stage and undermine the interests of Americans at home. He’s rejecting our government’s responsibility to protect Americans from the increasingly intense and frequent disasters linked to climate change that unleash havoc on our country.” European officials, such as Germany’s climate change envoy Jennifer Morgan, emphasized that clean energy is seen in Europe as key to energy security and economic growth. “To build a strong Europe, it is necessary to tackle climate change to avoid people having to leave their homes,” Morgan said.
Trump’s speech also included several unsubstantiated or misleading claims. He dismissed the concept of a carbon footprint as “a hoax made up by people with evil intentions,” a term that, as The New York Times notes, was actually popularized by oil companies in a bid to rebrand their environmental image. He further claimed that environmentalists want to “kill all the cows,” a statement for which there is no evidence. While it’s true that cattle produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas, calls from environmentalists have focused on reducing meat consumption, not eliminating livestock altogether.
Market reactions to Trump’s remarks were swift. Clean energy stocks and ETFs traded lower in the wake of his speech, reflecting investor concerns about potential regulatory and policy headwinds for the sector. For countries and companies heavily invested in green energy, the message from the U.S. administration injected a new layer of political uncertainty, particularly in sectors where government support remains crucial for growth and innovation.
Meanwhile, the scientific consensus remains clear: the burning of coal, oil, and gas has raised global temperatures by more than 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) since preindustrial times, exacerbating deadly heat, fires, and floods. The United States, as the world’s largest historical emitter of greenhouse gases, is seen by many as bearing a unique responsibility to lead on climate action. Trump, however, told world leaders, “I’ve been right about everything and I’m telling you that if you don’t get away from the green energy scam, your country is going to fail.”
Supporters of the administration, like White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers, defended the president’s stance, saying in a written statement, “Whether it’s called global cooling, global warming, or climate change, the radical climate agenda continues to destroy many great countries around the world.” This view, while resonant with Trump’s political base, stands in stark opposition to the positions of most scientists, international organizations, and a growing number of governments worldwide.
As the world prepares for the upcoming climate talks in Brazil, Trump’s speech at the UN General Assembly has drawn a clear line in the sand—one that could shape the direction of global energy policy and climate action for years to come. The debate over how best to address climate change, and the role of clean versus traditional energy, is far from settled. But if Trump’s words are any indication, the U.S. approach will remain deeply contentious and closely watched on the international stage.