That’s why our priority now must be to drive accountability around these pledges and bring radical transparency to greenhouse gas emissions. Thousands of companies have committed to net zero.īut we know that words do not equal action. About 74 percent of global emissions come from countries with net-zero pledges. As a result, businesses and governments alike are pledging bolder action than ever before. A report released just last week found that 77 percent of those who have experienced climate-related extreme weather events view global warming as either “a crisis” or a “major problem” and are far more likely to call for action. As the impacts of the climate crisis have grown more severe in recent years, we’ve seen a significant shift in public opinion and an upswing in climate activism.
The most effective catalyst for climate action has been Mother Nature. Which tactics for mobilizing climate action have been most successful? And which would you say are your top priorities right now? You have to make decisions daily about where to focus your work. The climate crisis is an issue that lies at the intersection of the major challenges that we face today - inequality and injustice, public health, food availability, immigration and so much more. What is your theory of change when it comes to climate activism?Ī crisis of this magnitude and scope requires swift action at all levels and must include voices from all backgrounds. In order to address this crisis, we must not only prioritize reforms that will place power back in the hands of the people, but we must also reconcile the distortion of our media landscape caused by a similar imbalance in power. In recent years, we’ve seen the same kind of influence-peddling stall progress on everything from gun violence prevention to civil rights. Fossil fuel companies and their allies have undermined progress on the climate crisis for decades. The balance of power in our country has been distorted and has shifted away from the people and toward corporations and special interests. We are facing a crisis of American democracy, one that stretches far beyond our ability to confront the climate crisis. You’ve written, “To address the climate crisis, we must address the democracy crisis.” Is American democracy in crisis? How do you propose we surmount congressional gridlock that obstructs climate action? It also means we need to make sure that anyone who is frustrated with the slow pace of climate action gets out to vote in this year’s midterm election. That means calling on Congress to pass ambitious climate legislation this summer. This decade is critical for climate action and we need all hands on deck to address this crisis. It is more important than ever for Congress to take action on this issue. While this ruling curtails some of the E.P.A.’s authority, it does not mean we are out of options to address the climate crisis.
What should be done now to ensure federal progress on emissions reduction? The Supreme Court just ruled against the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulatory power, making it harder for the U.S. This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity. Gore: Where does the climate movement go next? Yesterday’s decision limits the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate carbon emissions from power plants - which, as we covered on The Daily, is a blow to the Biden administration’s commitments to reduce emissions by 2030.