UNITED NATIONS — President Donald Trump dismissed climate change as “the greatest con job” in the world during his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, doubling down on his skepticism of global environmental initiatives and multilateral institutions.

Scientists say climate change is real, mostly caused by humans, and getting worse. They point to rising temperatures, stronger storms, and melting ice as clear signs. Groups like the UN have warned that waiting too long to act could cause serious damage to the planet and people.

Trump spoke for several minutes on climate change during his address to the United Nations General Assembly, criticizing the European Union for reducing its carbon footprint, which he claimed has taken a toll on its economy, and warning countries that have invested heavily in renewable energy that their economies will suffer.

He also touted his administration’s strong focus on producing more fossil fuels.

“We don’t have to do much hunting, because we have the most oil of any nation anywhere, oil and gas in the world, and if you add coal, we have the most of any nation in the world,” he said.

His remarks come a day before UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hosts a climate summit at the UN that will focus on countries’ new climate action plans.

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(Reporting by Valerie Volcovici, Gram Slattery and Jarrett Renshaw, editing by Deepa Babington)