Clintel President Václav Klaus: “We are productively and rationally thinking sceptics”
As Clintel enters a new era under the leadership of Václav Klaus, his inaugural address challenges the foundations of global warming ideology and calls for a renewed commitment to rational, evidence-based climate debate.
Václav Klaus, president of Clintel
Clintel Foundation
Date: 27 January 2026
In a pivotal moment for the global discourse on climate science and policy, Václav Klaus, the newly elected President of Clintel, has delivered his first presidential address. Titled “Global warming ideology: Clintel’s Contribution to the International Debate,” this thought-provoking piece marks the beginning of Clintel’s second phase, building on the foundational work of our founder and first President, Professor Guus Berkhout.
As many of our supporters know, Clintel was established six years ago to foster a network of over 2,000 scientists, experts, and free-thinking individuals worldwide who challenge the dominant narratives on man-made climate change. Under Professor Berkhout’s leadership, alongside Director Marcel Crok and our dedicated team, we have amplified climate realist voices and emphasized that climate science should be rooted in rigorous, self-critical inquiry rather than unquestioned beliefs.
Klaus, a renowned economist, former President of the Czech Republic, and long-time critic of environmental alarmism, was selected in December 2025 to guide Clintel forward. His address, penned during the Christmas season of 2025, echoes the reflective spirit of his seminal 2007 book Blue Planet in Green Shackles, which warned against the ideological shackles of green policies.
In this new address, Klaus expresses gratitude to our founders and collaborators while outlining a bold path for Clintel.
Key Insights from the Address
Klaus reaffirms Clintel’s core stance: there is no climate emergency. He emphasizes that we, Clintelers, are “no negativists. We are productively and rationally thinking sceptics”. He critiques the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for promoting a “knowledge monopoly” that overemphasizes CO₂’s role while sidelining other climate factors. Drawing from his economic expertise, he highlights the flaws in climate modeling, likening them to outdated, prescientific approaches that ignore the principles of free markets, scarcity, and rational decision-making.
The address traces the roots of modern environmentalism to the Club of Rome’s Limits to Growth and warns of its evolution into a ‘secular ideology’ that threatens freedom more than the climate itself. Klaus notes the destructive impacts of policies like the European Union’s Green Deal and the push for net-zero emissions, which he argues impose unrealistic costs without proportional benefits.
Looking ahead, Klaus poses fundamental questions about human responsibility for temperature changes and the efficacy of climate actions. He proposes five key areas for Clintel’s focus:
- Re-evaluating climatic data and interpretations.
- Challenging the notion that ‘The Science Is Settled’.
- Critiquing the limitations of current climatological models.
- Applying economic analysis to green policies and their consequences.
- Exposing climate alarmism as an ideological construct rather than pure science.
Klaus emphasizes that Clintel is not a group of “negativists” but rational skeptics committed to productive debate. He calls on our network to leverage collective wisdom in an era where science is increasingly politicized.
A Call to Action
This address is a rallying cry for those who value truth over dogma. As Klaus concludes, quoting from his earlier work: “What is Endangered, Climate or Freedom?” We invite all Clintel members, supporters, and curious readers to engage with the full text, available here on our website. Join the conversation: Share your thoughts or consider becoming part of our global network. Together, we can ensure that climate discussions remain grounded in evidence and open inquiry.
If you would like to address one of the five questions raised by President Klaus by writing an article or essay, please contact Marcel Crok at marcel.crok@clintel.org.
Václav Klaus is an economist, author, and statesman whose critiques of environmentalism have influenced international debate for decades. He is founder and director of the Václav Klaus Institute in Prague.
more news
Met Office temperature measurements unreliable and systematically biased
The article below by Chris Morrison clearly demonstrates that the reliability of temperature measurements in the United Kingdom is seriously lacking. Based on detailed research, Dr Eric Huxter shows that a large share of recorded temperature spikes is not the result of natural variation, but of artificial influences at poorly located measurement stations. This raises fundamental questions about the quality of the underlying data used for climate reporting and policy decisions.
Australia wakes up to brown coal bonanza: 1,000 years of energy
Finally, we see a few key topics hitting the media in Australia, says Jo Nova. National Party leader Canavan even talks about the thousand-year supply of brown coal, and also about a method of turning coal to liquid fuel.
The Strait of Hormuz’s Bitter Lesson for the European Union
In May 2023, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, declared that the fossil-fuel-based growth model is “simply obsolete.” The partial blockade of the Strait of Hormuz starkly exposes the irony of that statement, says Samuel Furfari.
