Climate expert William Happer, from Princeton University, supported Mr Coleman‘s claims.

He added: „No chemical compound in the atmosphere has a worse reputation than CO2, thanks to the single-minded demonisation of this natural and essential atmospheric gas by advocates of government control and energy production.

„The incredible list of supposed horrors that increasing carbon dioxide will bring the world is pure belief disguised as science.“

In 2010 a high-level inquiry by the InterAcademy Council found there was „little evidence“ to support the IPCC‘s claims about global warming.