Boris Johnson accuses Kermit the Frog of being ‘wrong’ in climate speech at UN

Boris Johnson took the time to bizarrely take on the opinion of Muppet favourite Kermit the Frog during a big speech on climate change to world leaders.

As he addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, the prime minister described how humanity is at its “adolescence” and needs to stop “trashing” the environment and urged the world to “grow up”.

Johnson also peppered his speech with a number of references, including Oxford philosopher Toby Ord - “we are just old enough to get ourselves into serious trouble.”

Another was comparing human existence to a rebellious teenager where he explained how “we know how to unlock the drinks cabinet and to engage in all sorts of activity that is not only potentially embarrassing but also terminal”.

Greek God of wind Boreas also got a mention from the Prime Minister ahead of his speech as he joked he was changing his name by deed poll to “Boreas” to show his support for renewable energy.

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But there’s one particular reference that jumped out the most, where Johnson dismissed the message from Muppets character Kermit the Frog, who famously sang: “It’s Not Easy Bein’ Green.”

“And when Kermit the Frog sang ‘It’s not easy being green,’” Johnson said in his speech before asking the audience, “Do you remember that one?”

A question that was met with a deafening silence.

“I want you to know he was wrong,” he said, before defying Kermit’s even further by adding: “It is easy to be green.”

“It’s not only easy, but it’s lucrative and it’s right to green,” Johnson explained.

But he wasn’t done with dissing Kermit just yet, and added jokingly: “...even though he was also unnecessarily rude to Miss Piggy I thought, Kermit the Frog.”

People on Twitter reacted to the strange pop culture reference to our favourite green frog.

Shadow Home Secretary, Lisa Nandy wasn’t a fan of the speech said that Johson has “collapsed into insulting Kermit the Frog.”

While others pointed out the awkward silence during which Johnson asked the audience if they remembered Kermit the Frog’s “It’s Not Easy Bein’ Green.”

Many people didn’t seem too impressed with Johnson’s Muppet reference when talking about such a serious issue as climate change - with some describing Johnson as the “muppet.”

People were not here for the Kermit slander either.

The clip was even reshared by the Accidental Partridge Twitter account (for obvious reasons).

In his twenty-minute speech, Johnson also warned the planet needs to tackle four different areas “coal, cars, cash and trees.” He also urged countries to cut their carbon emissions by 68% by 2030 compared with 1990 levels.

But he also took the time to praise the end of China’s international financing of coal, and congratulate Pakistan’s pledge to plant 10 billion trees.

On Monday, he addressed the climate-sceptical views he held previously and said: “if you were to excavate some of my articles from 20 years ago you might find comments I made, obiter dicta, about climate change that weren’t entirely supportive of the current struggle, but the facts change and people change their minds and change their views and that’s very important too”.