FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb (R) took his sunny message of Hoosier progress to Egypt this week to address the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27).

“Far from being irrelevant to the world’s energy transition, Indiana is at the heart of it all,” Holcomb said, according to the transcript posted on in.gov.

Holcomb touted Indiana advances in cleaner production of energy, manufacturing, steel and agricultural products.

“Instead of walking away from these essential parts of our state economy and global realities, we believe – and the early results are more than encouraging – that we can deliver them with cleaner energy, lower emissions, and therefore much less impact on our environment.”

Holcomb’s trip was not received well by some in his own party. David McIntosh, former Indiana Congressman and president of Club for Growth, opined in the Indianapolis Star that the Governor’s appearance gave tacit approval to an anti-Indiana agenda.

“The woke programs coming out of the UN’s COP27 will have oversized and long-term devastating impact on Indiana,” he wrote.

Friday morning, Holcomb told WANE 15 the opportunity to be in front of key decision makers was too good to pass up.

“Anytime you get a chance to meet with folks from General Motors or Lehigh Cement or Corteva, we’re gonna jump at that opportunity and learn more about what they’re doing, how they intend to continue to grow, and what they might need from the state of Indiana to do so.”

Holcomb pointed out he had to go to Egypt to connect with leaders from Amazon, where he shared Indiana’s status as America’s leading state in steel production. Amazon buys enormous amounts of steel as the company rapidly expands with new warehouses and distribution centers.

Holcomb said he and his staff will have plenty of follow-up meetings after sharing the state’s story.

“Folks came up and said, ‘I didn’t know that and I didn’t know that and I didn’t know that.’ It’s a very exciting time. I’m just I’m glad we’re in Indiana, where we’re growing and that success is attracting more success.”

The trip is being paid for with private donations to the Indiana Economic Development Foundation, the governor’s office said.