Ruto responds to Trump's remarks on Climate Change being the 'greatest con job ever'

In an hour-long speech at the UN General Assembly in New York, President Trump called climate change 'the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world' and warned other countries against enacting green policies.

He claimed the UN predictions over climate change were wrong and made by 'stupid people' with evil intentions. 

"All of these predictions made by the United Nations and many others, often for bad reasons, were wrong,” Trump claimed. “They were made by stupid people," Trump told the audience of more than 150 global leaders. 

“They said global warming will kill the world, but then it started getting cooler. So now they could just call it climate change, because that way, they can’t miss. It’s climate change, because if it goes higher or lower, whatever the hell happens, there’s climate change." 

In response, President Ruto, who has been pushing for world leaders to finance climate action, indicated that Trump's remarks could not change the reality of how the world has been adversely affected by climate change. 

He noted that climate action is a challenge that needs to be dealt with effectively. 

"I don't think anybody, however influential, powerful or great, can change the facts. You cannot reverse the trends going on. Floods, wildfires, and droughts are ravaging continents. That's a reality you can't wish away. Science, facts are stubborn. Maybe it can slightly delay but as they say the train left the station. Climate change is real. Climate action is necessary," Ruto said during an interview on France 24. 

The head of state noted that African countries have shifted from charity-based financing to investment-driven opportunities, emphasizing that they have put forward concrete proposals for action.

"We are putting concrete proposals on the table, it's no longer about charity. Climate action is turning into an investment. There are opportunities now even as we focus on climate action. I am confident about the future."

Further, President Ruto warned that the United Nations must undergo reforms to address the world’s evolving challenges, cautioning that failure to do so could lead to the institution’s collapse.

"Unless the UN is reformed, its own survival is at stake. Two fundamental things stand out: decision-making, whole architecture about the organisation being representative, democratic and alive to the challenges of today and that's why Africa has pushed for the reforms of the UN Security Council. Reforms of the International Financial Architecture," he noted. 

"The debate going on today is different from those happening a few years ago. In the past, people thought this was remote but today, looking at the statements in this summit, it's clear that everybody from President Trump, Macron and other global leaders, including those from Afric,a are united in one thing. We need to reform UN and its structure."