Billionaire Richard Branson on Donald Trump: Focus on Climate Change

November 11, 2016, 10:58 PM UTC

Billionaire Richard Branson has quite a few thoughts on what a Donald Trump presidency will mean for business owners. The founder of The Virgin Group said the jury is out on what the new Trump administration will do, but he is worried about Trump’s views on global warming.

“When you have a new government that doesn’t believe in global warming, it’s going to be up to us business people to make sure we create tens of thousands of jobs in the clean energy space,” Branson says.

Elon Musk’s solar roof initiative is a step in that direction, and Branson himself has been a passionate proponent of renewable energy. He co-founded The Carbon War Room, an anti-carbon nonprofit that works on solutions for climate change.

Branson says he’d be very worried if Trump stands firm on his proposals about overhauling immigration and healthcare, “it will backfire horribly.” Right now, the president-elect should focus on uniting the nation, Branson says.

“He needs to say, ‘I will be the president for all American people.’ And he’s going to have to compromise,” Branson says. “What I pray is that he surrounds himself with decent people, and that he will want to have a presidency he can be proud of.”

Watch the video above to hear more of Branson’s thoughts on president-elect Donald Trump.