US Energy Secretary Slams COP30 as ‘Hoax,’ Trump Admin Doubles Down on Fossil Fuels

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Friday criticized the COP30 climate summit as “essentially a hoax” and “not an honest organization looking to better human lives,” defying global concern over climate change. Wright…

Andrew PowellNov 7, 20253 min read

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criticized EU carbon reduction policies as undermining economic growth and technological leadership.

In contrast, COP30 participants in Brazil warned of accelerating global warming from fossil fuel emissions. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called inaction a “moral failure” that would worsen hunger, displacement, and environmental damage.

Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro said of Trump’s absence, “Today Mr. Trump is against humanity. His absence is proof of that… Oblivion is the biggest punishment.” Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed hope Trump would eventually change his mind, stating, “He will believe in , because he’ll realize that we don’t have much of an alternative.”

Trump, China, and India—the world’s top three greenhouse gas emitters—were all notably absent from the summit.

Wright, a former fossil fuel executive, defended Washington’s stance, arguing global gatherings should focus on energy access, growth, and technological advancement rather than what he called “fear-driven environmentalism.”

“Gatherings of global leaders and businesses should be about humans … not on the desire to scare children and grow government power,” Wright said. “They’ve lost the plot.”

The COP30 talks coincided with a U.N. report showing 2025 on track to be the second or third warmest year ever recorded, with greenhouse gas concentrations, ocean heat, and sea levels continuing to rise.

Since taking office, Trump has reversed Biden-era climate policies, withdrew from the 2015 Paris Agreement, created a National Energy Dominance Council, and pursued aggressive fossil fuel production. The administration has blocked offshore wind projects and canceled billions in grants for clean energy initiatives.

“Perhaps in no other time in history have leaders in Washington been more determined to pull the United States backwards in the fight against the climate crisis,” said Manish Bapna, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council.