Speaking at a conference of Latino businessmen at the Waldorf-Astoria yesterday, President Clinton challenged the Latino business community in America to help combat inequality and climate change.

“You are obviously change agents,” he told the crowd, “or you wouldn’t have your businesses.”

Mr. Clinton linked the issues of inequality and climate change, saying countries that have invested in green technology have seen higher incomes and lower inequality in recent years because of the jobs created by such policies. The former president said he was “sick and tired” of climate change action being treated “like it’s the end of capitalism.”

“You cannot have a wealthy country where growth is shared broadly unless you create jobs,” he said. Latinos have a particular interest in encouraging jobs through environmentalism, Mr. Clinton said, as many in the community work in construction and stand to lose jobs as the housing market declines.

“The Latino business community needs to take the lead in the greening of America for economic reasons,” he said. He cited improvements on rooftops to save on air-conditioning costs as one job that could create a demand for labor. “These jobs cannot be outsourced,” he said.