Full Breakdown
Trump Celebrates UN Climate Committee's Retirement of Extreme Emissions Scenario
5/18/2026, 8:29:57 AM
Event: UN Climate Committee Retires RCP8.5
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) announced that the RCP8.5 emissions pathway, long used in climate projections, will be removed from the forthcoming CMIP7 suite. The change reflects updated assessments that the scenario’s high-emission assumptions no longer match observed trends. Former President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that the move vindicated his criticism of climate policy.
Background: RCP8.5 assumptions and new HIGH scenario
RCP8.5 assumed a near-fivefold rise in global coal use by 2100 and a world population approaching 13 billion, producing severe temperature and sea-level increases. Researchers retired the pathway because renewable-energy cost declines and emissions trends made those assumptions implausible. The replacement “HIGH” scenario in CMIP7 still projects roughly 3 °C warming by 2100.
Official Statements & Responses
Trump claimed the change disproves Democratic climate policies and pledged an administration guided by what he called truth and science. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Trump's remarks were disinformation. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin defended Trump, saying left-wing climate policies cause “extreme economic pain.” IPCC scientists said the revision is a routine update reflecting new data, not a denial of climate risk.
Criticism & Opposition
Democratic leaders and climate advocates argued that Trump mischaracterized the scientific update, noting the new scenario still predicts significant warming. Clinton’s statement emphasized that the claim of a hoax is “not true.” Observers stressed that retiring RCP8.5 does not overturn the broader consensus on human-driven climate change.
Verbatim Quotes
- “GOOD RIDDANCE! After 15 years of Dumocrats promising that 'Climate Change' is going to destroy the Planet, the United Nations TOP Climate Committee just admitted that its own projections (RCP8.5) were WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!” — Donald Trump, former President
- “Unlike the Dumocrats, who use Climate Alarmism nonsense to push their GREEN NEW SCAM, my Administration will always be based on TRUTH, SCIENCE, and FACT!” — Donald Trump, former President
- “total disinformation.” — Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of State
- “The president is absolutely right and we've seen it in the name of climate change, these left wing policies willing to cause extreme economic pain for people who can at least afford it,” — Lee Zeldin, EPA Administrator
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
One source notes that the new HIGH scenario projects about 3 °C warming by 2100, while another source does not specify the projected magnitude, focusing only on the scenario’s implausibility. The extent to which the retirement alters policy forecasts remains unaddressed.
What’s Next
The IPCC will continue to publish a suite of scenarios covering a range of emissions pathways. Political debate over climate legislation and the framing of scientific updates is expected to persist in U.S. discourse.
