Trump's UN envoy nominee defends climate record

President Donald Trump's nominee to be the next US envoy to the United Nations on Wednesday defended her record on climate change, saying it is a "real risk to our planet" that must be addressed.

She also pledged to recuse Kelly Knight Craft told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that she believes human behaviour has contributed to climate change and she'll push countries deal with it. However, she also said the United States should not have to bear an "outsized burden" in mitigating its effects that harm American economic growth.

"I acknowledge there is a vast amount of science regarding climate change and the tools and the role that humans have played in climate change," she said. "If confirmed, I will be an advocate for addressing climate change."
"Climate change needs to be addressed as it poses real risk to our planet," she said. "Human behavior has contributed to the changing climate. Let there be no doubt: I take this matter seriously, and if confirmed, I will be an advocate for all countries to do their part in addressing climate change."
The top Democrat on the committee, Sen Bob Menendez of New Jersey, called the amount of time she spent away from the embassy to be "staggering," ''very troubling" and "an abdication of leadership."