After decades of working to raise awareness regarding climate change and incite action on the political and private sector fronts to address the threat, former Vice President Al Gore can say he is optimistic about mankind’s ability to win the battle. “We’re going to win this,” Gore said Thursday during an appearance at the Climate Action 2016 summit.
The former politician turned environmental activist has many reasons for his optimism: public awareness of the issue is at an all-time high, business and investment trends are pointed toward a greener future, and climate change denial in the government, he believes, is at a turning point. “Thinking sometimes changes very slowly, until it changes quickly, and I think we’re right there,” he said.
While voicing concern that “our democracy has been hacked” by “big money,” Gore pointed to social media and the ease of information sharing as a beacon of hope. “For all of its quirks and problems, social media and the internet revolution once again gives individuals easy access to the public discourse,” he said, later noting, “I think the power of public opinion-informed public opinion is now gaining the upper hand where the climate process is concerned.”
However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t still parties out there trying to maintain the status quo, Gore warned. “Everywhere in the world, lazy industries that have built up a lot of wealth and political connections over the last century … they have an outside influence on the way decisions are made and political systems,” he said, concluding “That era may soon be coming to a close too, I hope.”
Civil society and the business sector have both taken notice of trends toward climate action. Gore, who launched an investment firm after losing the 2000 presidential election, explained that while it is hard for many investors and businesses to see the value in pursuing climate-friendly endeavors, most eventually see that doing so is in the best interest of their business.
“This is the biggest business opportunity in the history of the world, and it’s a bumpy ride, and it’s hard to do, but you have to organize your firm to really identify these other elements,” he said, suggesting that many businesses and investors suffer from a form of tunnel vision. “If the only tool you have for recognizing value is a price tag, then those things that don’t come readily equipped with price tags may look like they have no value, but they do.”
These “price tag-less” values can include things like a successful safety culture, or environmental performance, which will prove valuable in the long term but are too often overlooked due to their lack of short-term value, Gore said.
While progress has been promising, there are still barriers to be overcome, Gore noted. “We need policy worldwide. … The business and investing trends are so exciting. The technological advances are just thrilling, but we also need policy, we need a price on carbon,” he said, also calling for an end to fossil fuel subsidies worldwide.
