Biden climate envoy Kerry says Trump administration 'lied to the American people' on climate change

President Biden's global climate change envoy John Kerry says the Trump administration "lied to the American people" about climate change and set back U.S. efforts to cut carbon emissions and reducing global warming.

"The scientists told us two years ago we have 12 years within which we have to make the most critical decisions to avoid the worst consequences of the climate crisis," Kerry said Wednesday during a Washington Post Live event. "Two of those years were wasted with an administration that lied to the American people and never bought into the science." 

The former senator, secretary of state and Democratic presidential candidate spoke one day before President Biden convenes a global climate summit during which he is expected to announce plans to cut in half U.S. greenhouse emissions by 2030.

Kerry also said he hopes administration's attempts to replace the fossil fuel industry with new green technology would inspire a movement similar to the space race and the industrial revolution.

"This is the greatest moment of transformation of our economy in our lifetime, certainly, and we need to seize it," he said.