NEW YORK — Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore stated in an interview with The Associated Press that 2026 may mark the beginning of a positive tipping point in the global response to climate change. He cited accelerating clean energy adoption and growing public momentum as indicators that the world is approaching a decisive shift away from fossil fuels. "I always say if it hadn’t been for me, we might have a big problem right now," he said. "The resistance has been more durable and sustained than I expected it to be," he said.

He emphasized the urgency of the moment while expressing confidence in the trajectory of renewable energy deployment. "While we’re in grave danger, but I think there is a possibility that 2026 will be looked back upon in the history books as the beginning of a positive tipping point," he said. He noted that the mass of public opinion is becoming unstoppable, suggesting that political and economic resistance is nearing its limit.

The former vice president pointed to specific metrics to support his assessment of the energy transition. He stated that 91% of new U.S. electricity generation was renewable and that 30% of all new cars sold globally this year will be electric. He also noted that Africa is installing 100,000 solar panels per day and that in Pakistan, the common dowry now includes three solar panels. Global investment patterns have shifted, with him stating that 65% of the world’s investment is now in renewables, compared to 45% ten years ago.

Despite these advances, he acknowledged the persistent influence of the fossil fuel industry. He stated that the resistance has been more durable and sustained than he expected it to be. He argued that the industry has "captured control of too many governments" and the UN’s top climate science apparatus to a degree. He cited reporting that Saudi oil operatives were involved in crafting high-profile UN climate reports as evidence of this influence.

He warned that the physical impacts of global heating are intensifying. He described extreme weather events as "worse as well as more frequent", likening them to a nature hike through the book of Revelation. He cited record heatwaves and a disaster on the Nepal-Tibet border triggered by a collapsing glacier as effects of global heating.

He stated that a glacier collapse and flooding in Nepal killed 1,300 people. He warned that looming tipping points, such as the melting of ice sheets and the Amazon turning into a savanna, will push the world towards catastrophe.

Bill Hare, CEO of Climate Analytics in Australia, expressed mixed feelings about the current trajectory. Hare stated he is optimistic about what can be achieved with the rapid development of clean technology. Yet he also voiced concern about the speed of implementation.

"I am the at the same time fearful that this is not fast enough and is being held back by the fossil fuel industry," Hare said. Michael Mann, affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania, addressed the psychological challenges of the crisis. "Doomism, despair and disengagement is the greatest threat at this point. We must not fall victim to it," Mann said.

He reflected on his long involvement in climate advocacy, which began in earnest after his 2000 presidential election loss. The documentary An Inconvenient Truth was released in 2006, documenting a slideshow talk he presented on the climate crisis. The film won two Academy Awards in 2006, recognizing its impact on climate change awareness.

He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for his work on climate change, shared with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). His organization, the Climate Reality Project, has amassed a network of 4.5 million people across 196 countries following the release of the documentary.

He continues to engage in climate monitoring and policy critique. He helped launch Climate TRACE in 2020, a project to independently monitor global greenhouse gas emissions, supported by the CDC. He also authored the New York Times bestseller The Assault on Reason, which critiques the erosion of rational discourse in public policy.

Now 78 years old, he maintains that the scientific community has been vindicated. "The scientists unfortunately have been proven to be absolutely correct," he said. He added that "in some important ways, they may have even understated what the damage is doing."

He framed the current moment as a test of collective will. "The day is coming when our momentum will overtake the resistance. We’re getting very close now," he said.

He urged continued action despite the scale of the challenge. "Courage is not the absence of fear or despair. It’s the decision to go forward in spite of it," he said. He paraphrased the Jewish Talmud, stating, "You are not required to finish the work, but you are required to undertake it." He concluded that the outcome remains uncertain but attainable. "I think we are going to win this. The remaining question is whether we will win it in time to avoid those negative tipping points I talked about," he said. "The answer is in our hands. The last chapter of this story won’t come for a while, but I think we really are at a turning point."

Why It Matters

The potential identification of 2026 as a positive tipping point carries implications for global climate policy and investment strategies. If public opinion and clean energy adoption become unstoppable as he suggests, it could accelerate the phase-out of fossil fuels and reduce the risk of catastrophic environmental thresholds. The shift in investment toward renewables, now comprising 65% of global capital, indicates a structural change in the energy economy that may outpace regulatory efforts.

However, the warning from experts like Johan Rockstrom that renewable growth currently meets demand rather than reducing fossil fuel use identifies a critical gap in the transition. Without bending the curve on oil, gas, and coal consumption, the world may fail to avoid negative tipping points such as ice sheet melting and Amazonian savannization. The persistence of fossil fuel influence in government and international bodies, as cited by him, remains a barrier to the rapid decarbonization required to mitigate these risks.

What's New

Additional reporting provides further detail on the specific metrics and expert assessments surrounding the climate transition. He stated in an interview with The Associated Press that 2026 may be viewed historically as the start of a positive tipping point. Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impacts Research, acknowledged his optimism about renewable energy adoption but warned that clean technologies currently meet growing energy demand rather than reducing fossil fuel use.

Rockstrom stated, I agree with him that we have incredible progress on exponential rise in adoption and decline in price for renewable electric green solutions. He added, "But the dilemma, so far, is that they largely meet growing energy demand. We are not yet bending the curve on oil, gas and coal." He also provided specific data on recent climate impacts and energy trends, stating that a glacier collapse and flooding in Nepal killed 1,300 people. He noted that Africa is installing 100,000 solar panels per day, that 91% of new U.S. electricity generation was renewable, and that 30% of all new cars sold globally this year will be electric.