But many of them are just plain wrong.
An EPA spokesperson did admit that Pruitt "misspoke" in his claim, repeated multiple times, that 50,000 coal jobs had been created since the fourth quarter of 2016, after the number was debunked by The Washington Post, USA Today, Politifact, and others. Coal mining current only has about 50,000 jobs, total, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
But some of Pruitt's most misleading statements had to do with the Paris agreement itself. Here are just a few:
- "India had no obligations until $2.5 trillion of aid were provided."
India estimated that the total cost of meeting its Paris target would be $2.5 trillion (page 31), but it did not expect or require that the entire amount come from foreign aid. India did say: "Our efforts to avoid emissions during our development process are ... tied to the availability and level of international financing and technology transfer." India said it would calculate how much foreign aid it would need "at a later stage," and said that most of its climate actions so far had been financed domestically.
Among steps India has taken already: establishment of a National Clean Energy Fund that is supported by a coal tax (called a "coal cess") on every ton of coal mined or imported into India. The tax—which began at about 75 cents per ton (50 rupees) and is now at about $6 per ton (400 rupees)—has funded $1.8 billion in renewable energy so far. India canceled four coal-fired "ultra-mega" power projects last year, in the face of cheaper renewable energy and slowing of demand growth.
Far from sitting still with outstretched hand, India is on track to be eight years early in reaching its Paris goal for non-fossil sources to account for 40 percent of the nation's installed electric capacity by 2030.
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