A White House environmental adviser said global climate efforts should be secondary to what he described as more urgent risks such as air and water pollution.
Ed Russo, a longtime environmental consultant and ally of President Donald Trump, made his comments during a virtual presentation at Rio Climate Action Week, asserting that toxic waste dumps, polluting landfills and malfunctioning sewage treatment plants are often overlooked sources of contamination. The event is being held ahead of the COP30 global climate talks in Belém, Brazil, in November.
“Yes, I understand that there are some impacts of climate over time, but the impacts of climate today are the ones we should be concerned about,” Russo said.
His involvement marked a rare U.S. appearance at an international climate conference. Under Trump, American officials have either skipped such meetings or attempted to undermine their outcome by threatening nations with tariffs.
