Liz Truss also attended the launch earlier this week
Nigel Farage was the “special guest of honour” and keynote speaker at the launch of the UK branch of US-based climate denial think tank, the Heartland Institute, on Tuesday.
In posts on X, the institute also thanked former prime minister Liz Truss and Dan Wootton for attending the event.
Wootton was forced to leave GB News earlier this year after laughing at derogatory comments that Reclaim Party’s Laurence Fox made about a female journalist on his show.
In the press release about its new London branch, The Heartland Institute described itself as “the world’s most prominent think tank supporting skepticism about man-made climate change”.
President of the Heartland Institute, James Taylor, said: “During recent years, a growing number of policymakers in the UK and continental Europe have requested Heartland establish a satellite office to provide resources to conservative policy makers throughout Europe.”
He added that with its UK and European launch “we aim to fulfill this requested impact throughout Europe, championing the principles of liberty and economic prosperity in an era of increasing regulation and anti-growth policies.”
The organisation was involved in the Project 2025 agenda to elect Donald Trump for a second time.
According to the environmental journalism platform DeSmog, the Heartland Institute has received at least $676,500 from oil major ExxonMobil between 1998 and 2007.
In the lead up to the UK general election, Farage called for a referendum to abolish the UK’s target of reaching net zero emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050, which his party then adopted as a manifesto pledge.
Speaking at Heartland’s 40th anniversary fundraising event in September, Farage encouraged the institute to set up branches in Britain and Europe. He also urged the US to re-elect Trump and “drill baby drill” for more fossil fuels.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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