Unfiltered truth on climate justice, carbon colonialism and hard choices

For more than two hours, hundreds of young people sat transfixed before a massive screen at a hotel in Nairobi, witnessing the stark reality of climate change’s devastating effects around the world. Flash floods that ravaged cities. Hurricanes that tore through coastal towns. Cyclones that wreaked havoc in one country, while heatwaves scorched another. The images slideshow, interspersed with videos, each more heart-wrenching than the last, flickered across the screen like scenes from a tragedy. A tragic movie, but one that is all too real.

Throughout the presentation, Al Gore, former US vice president for eight years, stood resolutely on stage, offering vital context for each image that flashed across the screen.

Now a passionate climate activist, Gore has dedicated himself to shaping the next generation of environmental leaders. Through his non-profit organisation, the Climate Reality Project, he and his team have been spearheading global training programmes with a focus on developing countries. These sessions delve into the complexities of the climate crisis and equip participants with the tools to drive meaningful change.
Climate Action had a sit-down with Gore, 76, on the sidelines of the Nairobi training. 

What strikes you most about being here in Kenya at the epicentre of climate impacts?

I have been to Kenya several times before, but every time I come and especially right now, because I did so much research ahead of my trip, I am extremely impressed with the drive, energy and enthusiasm. The innovative culture, the pride that Kenyans have and its leadership in using renewable energy. There seems to be a collective determination in Kenya to build a bright future. There is an awareness of how serious this challenge is, but also an awareness of how great the opportunities are. 

Let's talk about "An Inconvenient Truth." When you made that film in 2006, many of your predictions seemed apocalyptic to some. Now, nearly two decades later, we're living many of those realities. Do you ever feel vindicated, or is that the wrong emotion?

I supported the scientists who were the ones who made the prediction, and I can tell you that the scientists wish they had been wrong.

Also read: Kenya’s carbon market ambitions: Opportunities and controversies

Because the scientists were correct in what they warned us decades ago, we should give more attention to what the warning is about now. But also, the development of solutions has been much faster than anyone predicted. I don’t feel any sense of vindication. But I do feel very strongly that we need to listen carefully to what these scientists are telling us now.

But here's what troubles many Kenyans: your film reached millions, won an Oscar, and sparked global conversations. Yet the emissions have continued rising. Africa's carbon footprint remains minimal, yet we're paying the highest price. How do you reconcile the awareness you've created with the continued inaction by major emitters?

That’s an excellent question, and it is a question that I ask myself quite frequently. I continue to seek the best answer to that question. I wish I could predict with absolute certainty that we are going to solve this crisis in time. We are going to solve it, but there is the remaining question of whether we will do it soon enough. I believe that we will. It all depends on whether or not we can summon political will fast enough.

That leads me to a difficult question about climate justice. Rich nations promised US dollars 100 billion annually for climate finance - a promise made over a decade ago, still unfulfilled. Meanwhile, Kenya spends over two per cent of its GDP on climate adaptation. Is this climate colonialism - the global north exporting its climate costs to us?

First of all, climate justice is social justice. And it is unfair that developing nations have contributed so little to the crisis, yet are suffering some of the worst impacts, and the world as a whole must address that. I think that it’s important to try and understand why these governments in the wealthy countries have been slow to meet their obligations. I think one reason is that in the wake of the rapid globalisation of businesses and industries, some of the voters and taxpayers in the wealthy countries were told by some politicians that their jobs had been shipped overseas. And some of the people in the wealthy countries are feeling poorer than they are because there have been some job losses, so there is political resistance. But it is not justifiable.

The development of the energy transition in Kenya and other developing nations is most likely to occur if we can use the same pattern that has worked in the rest of the world. And that is, more than 80 per cent of the financing has come from the private sector. Governments have provided less than 20 per cent financing in the developing countries. So I think the most useful and productive way to address this injustice is to remove the obstacles to more access to financing for nations like Kenya so they can participate in the sustainability revolution.

You are well-travelled. You've interacted with many players in this field. Is there a carbon credits project that you've seen and thought to yourself, this is a good undertaking of a carbon credits project?

I'm trying to think of the best examples I could cite. There are not many, I will say. I don't want to say they have no role to play, but they have to include full input from the communities affected and have high integrity.

Some nations are using hydroelectric power to produce green hydrogen, not from fossil fuels, but from separating the hydrogen from the oxygen in H2O, in the water molecules, and then using that green hydrogen to make pollution-free steel. And some of the investors in those projects can get some carbon credits. And I think that if it's documented thoroughly and if you can prove the integrity of the project and demonstrate that no communities are being overlooked and harmed in the process, I think there are examples of where it can work.

But there are very few of them, I have to say. And I have been tempted at times to say, no more carbon credits. They're just not working. But I have seen a few examples where I think they are justified.

Do you think it's justice for a country that is a polluter to buy carbon credits so that it can continue polluting the environment?

No, I don't. And the biggest problem I have with carbon credits, well, one of the biggest problems, is the fact that local communities are sometimes not consulted and not involved, and they have to suffer the damage, that's just as big a problem. But another big problem is that some of the carbon credits proposed in the past have simply been an excuse to allow the polluters to continue to pollute.

And the number one objective has to be to reduce emissions. Look, we're in a global crisis here. This thin shell of atmosphere, we're all trapped inside of it.

And we're using it as an open sewer, and it's trapping so much extra heat, it is doing serious damage to the ecological systems that we depend upon, that our children and grandchildren will depend upon. So if they're using some trickery to pretend that they're reducing emissions and not doing it, that's terrible. It ought to be outlawed. It ought to be prevented.

You've spoken about the moral dimension of climate change. But let's be specific about Africa. We have 600 million people without electricity. Our priority is development, lifting people out of poverty. When wealthy nations tell us not to develop our natural gas reserves or build coal plants, having built their prosperity on exactly that, what moral authority do they have?

If the United States, for example, and other wealthier countries began their period of rapid development in an era where the cheapest electricity was solar and wind electricity and batteries; and vehicles were electric, they would have gone in that direction right away. Because the damage done in the wealthy countries by fossil fuels has been extremely high. Now developing countries have the opportunity to leapfrog the mistakes and dirty pathways that were used in such countries.

I want to shift to solutions, because that's where Africa is leading. You've seen Kenya's geothermal success, our mobile money systems enabling solar access. What can the world learn from how African communities are adapting and innovating?

First of all, think of my dear friend, the late Wangari Maathai. She was a visionary, courageous and one of the greatest people to live in the world. She focused on planting trees to restore the integrity of the environment, protecting urban parks, and advocating for the use of indigenous crops that are well-adapted to the different communities.

Are you optimistic? Are you making any headway as a promoter of climate action?

Yes, I'm optimistic. There is an old saying attributed to an economist in the US years ago, Rudiger Dornbusch. It's known as Dornbusch’s Law, and that law says this: Things take longer to happen than you think they will, but then they happen faster than you thought they could.

And finally, if you could speak directly to President William Ruto, to African leaders, and our readers across Kenya, what's your message?

We all face the same choice in life over and over again. The hard right versus the easy wrong. And to save the future of Africa and for all humanity, we have to make the right choices to get away from dirty fossil fuels and the other activities that are creating this climate crisis. The climate crisis is far worse than many people realise, but the opportunities to save it are also greater than many understand. If we make the right choice, we will invest our hopes, resources and talents in developing a sustainable future that can give hope to our young people. 

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