Ruto rebukes Trump’s climate denial at UNGA, says facts are irrefutable
Ruto countered the remarks sharply, saying, "You cannot reverse the trends that are going on. Floods are ravaging continents, wildfires, drought and everything in between. Maybe it can delay just slightly. But as they say, the train left the station."
President William Ruto has pushed back against US President Donald Trump's dismissal of climate change as "the greatest con job ever perpetrated," insisting that the science is "stubborn" and the facts irrefutable.
Speaking to France 24 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Ruto said, "I do not think that anybody, however influential, powerful, or great, can change the facts. Climate change is real, and climate action is necessary."
More To Read
- COP30: Children, young people at climate talks: seen, photographed, but not allowed to decide anything
- Kenya moves to curb recruitment of its citizens in Russia-Ukraine war
- Red Cross launches Sh2.4 billion emergency appeal to combat escalating climate crisis
- Oburu’s DP position condition to Ruto unsettles Kindiki’s base
- Nigeria dismisses US claims about prosecution of Christians
- UN warns of missed climate targets ahead of COP30 Summit in Brazil
Trump, in an hour-long UN speech, derided the climate agenda, calling UN forecasts "wrong" and "made by stupid people."
He argued that global warming predictions had failed, claiming, "They said global warming would kill the world, but then it started getting cooler. So now they just call it climate change, because that way, they can't miss."
Ruto countered the remarks sharply, saying, "You cannot reverse the trends that are going on. Floods are ravaging continents, wildfires, drought and everything in between. Maybe it can delay just slightly. But as they say, the train left the station."
He added that the debate on climate change has evolved from blame to opportunity.
"Climate action is no longer about arms or charity. It is turning into an investment. There are opportunities now, even as we focus on climate action — not just to say who should give what they didn't give, but to make it an investment in our future."
Ruto said Kenya and Africa were putting "concrete proposals on the table" for climate finance and resilience, arguing that the fight against climate change must be anchored in sustainable economic transformation.
"Climate change is something that is with us, and we have to deal with it. I am very confident about the future," he concluded.
Top Stories Today
