Tell Bessent: Climate Change Isn’t a “Belief”

Climate denial has no place in the highest levels of government—yet that’s exactly what we’re seeing from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. At a moment when communities are already facing record heat, deadly floods, and worsening wildfires, Bessent is casting doubt on the very cause of the crisis. By claiming it is “difficult to deconstruct” the causes of climate change and warning against what he called “elite beliefs,” he is not just contradicting scientific consensus—he is undermining the urgent action millions of people are demanding right now.

Climate change is not a mystery. It is not a matter of opinion. It is caused by human activity—especially the burning of fossil fuels that release heat-trapping greenhouse gases. Scientists have repeatedly confirmed that natural factors cannot explain the rapid warming we are experiencing today. The evidence is overwhelming—and the consequences are already here.

Tell Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent: Stop spreading climate misinformation and base U.S. economic policy on scientific reality.

Instead of leading with facts, the Treasury Secretary is choosing to create confusion about settled science.

That matters. The Treasury Secretary helps shape U.S. economic policy, influences global financial institutions, and directs where trillions of dollars flow. Casting doubt on climate science risks locking us into fossil fuel dependence, delaying the transition to clean energy, and exposing our economy to massive, avoidable damage.

And let’s be clear about who pays the price: working families, low-income communities, and people on the frontlines of the climate crisis—those already struggling with rising costs, extreme weather, and environmental injustice. Dismissing climate concerns as “elite beliefs” ignores the lived reality of millions.

Secretary Bessent has a duty to the public—not to misinformation or political pressure.

Add your name to demand that Secretary Bessent stop denying the science, educate himself on the real causes and economic risks of climate change, and use the full power of his office to confront this crisis head-on.

That means supporting climate-smart financial policies, strengthening climate investments, and ensuring that U.S. leadership is grounded in reality—not denial.

We cannot afford leaders who pretend the crisis doesn’t exist. The scientific consensus is overwhelming. The impacts are here. And the time to act is now.

The petition to Treasury Secretary Bessent reads:
Acknowledge the overwhelming scientific consensus that climate change is driven by human emissions, stop spreading misinformation, and educate yourself on the causes and economic risks of global warming. Use the full power of your office to support climate action—not fossil fuel expansion—and ensure U.S. economic leadership reflects reality, not denial.
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Sources:

New York Times | The Treasury Secretary vs. Climate Science | https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/14/climate/scott-bessent-climate-change-science.html

New York Times | Scott Bessent Questions Climate Change Science and Its Economic Toll | https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/14/business/scott-bessent-climate-change-trump.html

Society of Environmental Journalists | Bessent Questions Cause of Climate Change and Its Economic Toll | https://www.sej.org/headlines/bessent-questions-cause-climate-change-and-its-economic-toll