EPA boss denies effect of carbon dioxide on the environment

The head of the US Environmental Protection Agency has denied that carbon dioxide emissions have a significant impact on global warming.

Scott Pruitt, who was chosen by President Donald Trump to lead the environmental department, told CNBC that there was not enough evidence to support the idea that the release of CO2 was a primary cause of the increase in the world's temperature.

The assertion from Pruitt is in stark contrast to well-established scientific thought that CO2 is one of the primary causes of global warming.

"I think that measuring with precision human activity on the climate is something very challenging to do and there's tremendous disagreement about the degree of impact, so no, I would not agree that it's a primary contributor to the global warming that we see," Pruitt said.

"But we don't know that yet ... We need to continue the debate and continue the review and the analysis."

The EPA's website actually contradicts the statement of its boss, citing carbon dioxide as the "primary greenhouse gas that is contributing to recent climate change".

Trump last week put forward a budget proposal which included cutting the EPA's total funding by 25%, with 70% of funding for its climate change programme being gutted as well.

The President's proposal will however be the first blow in a lengthy battle to push through widespread budget reductions in order to finance a huge increase in military spending.