California Governor Gavin Newsom is set to address the UN climate summit in Belém, Brazil, where the event will feature discussions and appearances by various world leaders and environmental advocates. However, the summit’s agenda is complicated by a petition from Steve Hilton, a Republican gubernatorial candidate and former Fox News host, who is urging the COP30 leaders to deny Newsom a speaking slot. Hilton has accused the California governor of ‘climate hypocrisy,’ citing the state’s role in importing nearly half of the crude oil drilled from the Amazon rainforest.
According to Hilton, this oil comes from one of the most sensitive ecosystems on Earth, contributing to deforestation and the displacement of Indigenous communities. He argues that Newsom’s political image as a climate leader is inconsistent with California’s role in funding Amazonian oil extraction. ‘Governor Newsom has built his political image around climate virtue signaling while presiding over one of the most environmentally destructive hypocrisies in the world,’ Hilton wrote in his letter. He criticized the administration’s apparent neglect of the Amazon’s environmental destruction, suggesting that Newsom is more focused on promoting his global climate leadership than addressing the exploitation of the rainforest.
Hilton also pointed out that earlier this year, even members of California’s Democratic-controlled state Senate had called for an investigation into the state’s role in funding the Amazonian oil trade. Environmentalists argue that oil drilling in the Amazon is rapidly increasing deforestation and destroying the rainforest’s biodiversity. This has led to widespread criticism of California’s reputation as a climate leader, with some suggesting that its actions undermine its environmental credentials.
Newsom, meanwhile, has spoken at the summit, highlighting his opposition to former President Donald Trump’s environmental policies and his criticism of Trump as an ‘invasive species’ and ‘a wrecking ball’ in terms of progress on climate change. He is expected to make additional appearances during the summit, including a trip deep into the Amazon Rainforest to meet with local residents and leaders. Newsom’s office has not publicly commented on the petition, though a spokeswoman for the governor responded with a six-word reply to a request for comment, stating, ‘I’m sorry – who is Steve Hilton?’ This response has further fueled the controversy surrounding Newsom’s participation at the summit.