The case for climate optimism
Recorded 29 September 2021
Why is Al Gore optimistic about our ability to solve the climate crisis?
In a webinar attended by nearly 6,000 representatives from science, policy, and business across the world, former US Vice President Gore outlined encouraging progress on the sustainability revolution – and what energizes him to keep fighting for further change.
Our planet has changed dramatically in the 15 years since the former Vice President brought climate change to the world stage in his Oscar-winning film “An Inconvenient Truth.” But as he pointed out in his talk at the Frontiers Forum, so too have our responses to the crisis. Governments and businesses have committed to net zero carbon targets and ever-more clean, green solutions are entering the market. On top of this, science shows the incredible power we have to avert the worst consequences of climate change.
A deeper discussion on political and social aspects of achieving cuts to greenhouse gas emissions followed with three leading climate experts: Kurt Vandenberghe, Dr Joeri Rogelj, and Prof Naomi Oreskes.
“Excellent presentation by Al Gore, backed
by facts and figures in support of arguments.
This will contribute to galvanizing climate action.”
Speaker and contributor bios
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Al Gore
Former US Vice President and Nobel Laureate
An environmental, business, and tech visionary, Al Gore is the undisputed epicenter of the global conversation surrounding climate change. He is the co-founder and chairman of The Climate Reality Project, a nonprofit devoted to solving the climate crisis, and was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, along with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, for his tireless campaign to focus global public and political attention on the climate crisis.
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Kurt Vandenberghe
European Green Deal Advisor, European Commission
Kurt Vandenberghe leads Europe’s visionary effort to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. He currently serves in the cabinet of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen; previous roles include Director for Climate Action and Resource Efficiency, Director for Policy Development and Coordination, and head of the cabinet of European Commissioner Janez Potočnik within the European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation.
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Joeri Rogelj
Director of Research, Grantham Institute, Imperial College London
Dr Joeri Rogelj explores how societies can transform towards more sustainable futures. He has led major scientific reports that inform international climate policy, including as long-standing lead author on the annual Emissions Gap Reports by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), coordinating lead author on mitigation pathways for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on 1.5°C of Global Warming, and lead author for the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment.
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Naomi Oreskes
Professor of the History of Science, Harvard University
A world-renowned geologist, historian, and public speaker, Prof Naomi Oreskes is a leading voice on the role of science in society and the reality of anthropogenic climate change. She is author or co-author of 7 books, including ‘Merchants of Doubt’ and ‘Why Trust Science?’, and over 150 articles, essays, and opinion pieces which have appeared in leading publications and newspapers including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Frankfurter Allegemeine.