Funding for NC Governor Roy Cooper’s Climate Advisers Came from Progressive Nonprofit Amid Controversial Policies

Documents obtained by the Washington Free Beacon indicate that the salaries of top climate advisers for former North Carolina governor Roy Cooper (D) were financed by the United Nations Foundation (UNF). This funding aimed to facilitate the adoption of progressive climate policies within the state, effectively circumventing the fallout from President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accords. Cooper’s advisers led initiatives focused on offshore wind energy, electric vehicle mandates, and reducing the reliance on natural gas in buildings.

Despite these efforts, many of Cooper’s proposals were thwarted by the state’s Republican supermajority. As Cooper runs for a Senate seat, the internal documents suggest his administration received significant grant funding from UNF, totaling $1.7 million from 2020 to 2024, supporting climate-focused staffing without public disclosure. Critics argue that these policies place undue financial burdens on North Carolinians while failing to make a meaningful impact on climate change.