Heartland Institute in the UK/EU: Guilty as Charged! (DeSmog backfire)

“Heartland’s immediate success in the UK/EU reflects a ready opportunity to dial back climate exaggeration and undo forced energy transformation…. Call it ‘social justice’, one that DeSmog continues to promote (unintendedly) through its truth bombs.”

Great news! As reported by DeSmog, James Taylor and the Heartland Institute are off to a resounding start with their new offices in the UK/EU. What a return on investment for donors–and reason to attract more philanthropy to help consumers, taxpayers, and a greener environment.

As DeSmog previously reported, Heartland last December announced that the new branch would provide “resources to conservative policymakers throughout Europe”. And the early results are in, detailed by Sam Bright and Clare Carlile in “U.S. Climate Denial Group Using Far-Right to Attack EU Green Policies” (January 22, 2025). Excerpts follow:

The pro-Trump Heartland Institute claims it spearheaded opposition to a flagship European nature law.

In a post on its website published on 10 January, the Heartland Institute claimed that it helped to encourage Hungarian lawmakers to withdraw their support for the legislation in March. The Nature Restoration Law, which eventually passed in June, sets targets for restoring degraded ecosystems, habitats, and species across the EU.

The Heartland Institute claims that it was assisted by Austrian Members of European Parliament (MEPs) Harald Vilimsky and Roman Haider, who represent the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) and have forged close ties with the institute in recent years. 

Results!

Following several meetings between Vilimsky, Haider, and Heartland Institute president James Taylor, the latter was invited in March to speak in the European Parliament. 

“During the session, Taylor explained why there is no climate crisis according to the best available data, and he warned of the economic, political, and geopolitical suicide that net zero would bring,” the Heartland blog post states. “After the session, Taylor met informally with many of the Hungarian MEPs, continuing the conversation over dinner.”

Csaba Molnar, an MEP for the Hungarian Democratic Coalition, told DeSmog it is “more than plausible” that Hungary withdrew its support for the Nature Restoration Law due to the influence of the Heartland Institute. 

Continuing:

Vilimsky and Haider are vocal opponents of EU climate policies – known as the Green Deal – and have called into question long-established climate science. Vilimsky has called the EU Green Deal “eco totalitarianism” and has claimed its supporters are the “eco Taliban”, while Haider has called the climate crisis “conceited bullshit”….

The full article should be read. The bad guys and gals do not like Heartland.

Final Comment

Heartland’s intellectual/advocacy export project is still early, but its immediate success in the UK/EU reflects a ready opportunity to dial back climate exaggeration and reject forced energy transformation. The elitist Climate Industrial Complex is out of excuses for wasting resources in a false cause. Call it ‘social justice’, one that DeSmog continues to promote (unintendedly) through its truth bombs.

The Cato Institute has a Friedman Prize every other year for the international figure that has done most to advance liberty. With results like this, the responsible figure(s) of the Heartland Institute should be a candidate for the award for their US/UK/EU work on energy and climate.

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