Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore expressed confidence that a second Donald Trump presidency would have minimal impact on the forward movement of the international climate agenda. Gore asserted that the global drive to address climate change will persist “despite” Trump’s actions.
Trump has renewed his promise to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate accord if re-elected, a decision that looms over the ongoing U.N. COP29 climate talks in Baku, according to AFP.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Gore aligned himself with President Joe Biden’s climate policy team, which has urged global leaders to stand firm against Trump’s potential policies.
“We’ve been through this before,” Gore remarked, ahead of Friday’s release of new findings from Climate TRACE, a global emissions monitoring initiative he co-founded.
Reflecting on Trump’s previous presidency, Gore noted, “He tried one time before and the world continued to reduce emissions even during his four years as president the last time.” He continued, “There is so much more momentum that even a new Trump administration is not going to be able to slow it down much. I hope I’m right about that.”
Highlighting economic trends, the Nobel Peace Prize winner pointed to market dynamics as a source of optimism, saying that technological advancements in energy production are creating a “tailwind” for climate efforts.
“Many people around the world are not simply waiting with bated breath to see what the United States is going to do, they’re moving on their own,” Gore stated.
While acknowledging that a U.S. retreat from its climate commitments “would not be a good thing,” Gore added, “I think the progress is likely to continue, regardless.”
As previously reported by Breitbart News, Gore has a history of criticizing climate change skeptics. In 2015, he called for those who deny the reality of climate change to face consequences, particularly targeting politicians who reject “accepted science.”
However, Gore did not specify what form those consequences should take.
More recently, Gore has framed climate action as a moral imperative, urging his supporters to view the fight against global warming as a divine command.
{Matzav.com}