Trump vs Biden: 'Existential threat' or 'rip off' as candidates beat familiar energy and climate drums

Despite record heat waves across the US widely blamed on global warming, climate and the energy transition took a backseat to multiple other issues as both Democrat President Joe Biden and challenger Republican Donald Trump had little to say on the subject – and what they did say underlined a now all-too-familiar divide.

The CNN-hosted debate Thursday night at 2100 was moderated by newscasters Jake Tapper and Dana Bush, who struggled to redirect the candidates to questions asked as both frequently strayed into vitriol and personal barbs, while Biden's ability to continue as the candidate was questioned by some after the debate who highlighted verbal stumbles during the event.

Climate change and energy transition has struggled to gain attention amid issues related to economy and inflation, immigration and border security, healthcare and abortion.

A recent poll by Associated Press-NORC at University of Chicago, social sciences think tank, found just 6% of undecided voters thought climate change was important.

The candidates spent a total of two minutes thirty of the hour and half long debate discussing climate change and made almost no mention of renewable energy, and only a passing reference to landmark environmental legislation.

Climate challenge

Trump was first asked about his plans for addressing climate change, but he veered into issues of race, law enforcement and immigration before saying he wanted “absolutely immaculate clean water and I want absolutely clean air – and we had it.

“We were using all forms of energy... and yet during my four years, I had the best environmental numbers ever,” he said, without elaborating, adding that he had just been given that statistic before walking on stage.

Trump is largely seen as opposed to renewables and supportive of fossil fuels, although both did well during his presidency. He has during his latest campaign threatened to stop offshore wind "on day one" and used the slogan "drill baby drill".

Biden, who has put climate and energy transition at the heart of his administration, touted his record in passing “the most extensive climate change legislation in history” – the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) – and saying of Trump: “He hasn’t done a damn thing for the environment.”

Biden rejoined the Paris Accord after Trump took the US out of the global climate agreement, “because if we reach 1.5 degrees Celsius, at any one point, there's no way back.

“The only existential threat to humanity is climate change,” Biden said, adding Trump “wants to undo all that I've done.”

Trump called the Paris Accords “a rip-off for the United States” because “it was going to cost us a trillion dollars and China nothing, Russia nothing, and India nothing.”

“I ended it because I didn't want to waste that money,” he added.

Calling the US one of the biggest polluters in the world, Biden touted “significant progress” made by his administration in curbing pollution.

“By 2035, we will have cut pollution by half,” he said. “We’re moving in the right direction.”

Biden added he didn't “see any indication” of Trump's concern for the environment, before veering into discussing insulin pricing.