FRANCINE: THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. LOOKING AT THE POLICIES
SURROUNDING CLIMATE CHANGE, WHETHER IT IS SLIPPED DOWN
BECAUSE OF CONFLICTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST OR BECAUSE OF
CONFLICTS IN UKRAINE AND WHAT YOU ARE EXPECTING IN DAVOS.
VP GORE: I THINK THERE WILL BE A LOT AND
WE CAN MAKE SOME FURTHER PROGRESS.
THE CONFERENCE IN DUBAI WHERE YOU DID SUCH GREAT COVERAGE
ENDED WITH AN AGREEMENT TO PHASE OUT FOSSIL FUELS.
SOME OF THOSE HAVE SIGNED UP TO THAT PLEDGED ARE NOW TRYING TO
CLAIM IT WAS OPTIONAL AND WALK IT BACK A LITTLE BIT.
IT IS AN IMPORTANT COMMITMENT THAT MUST BE KEPT.
AS FOR YOUR QUESTION WILL IT FALL DOWN THE AGENDA I DON'T
THINK SO. MOTHER NATURE HAS OTHER
INTENTIONS. THE CLIMATE RELATED WEATHER
EVENTS THAT ARE UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW, EVERY DAY AND WE ARE
CONTINUING TO ADD A HUGE ADDITIONAL AMOUNT OF POLLUTION
TO THE SKY EVERY SINGLE DAY.
ONCE WE GET TO TRUE NET ZERO AND STOP ADDING THE
TEMPERATURES. GOING UP ALMOST IMMEDIATELY.
IF WE STAY AT TRUE NET ZERO, HALF OF THE GREENHOUSE GAS
EMISSION WILL COME OUT OF THE ATMOSPHERE IN AS LOW AS 25 TO
30 YEARS. GETTING THERE IS VERY TOUGH.
IT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE WE NOW HAVE BETTER TECHNOLOGIES
THAT ARE CHEAPER AND ALMOST THE ENTIRE WORLD WITHOUT POLLUTION
DECADES AGO ONE OF THESE SAUDI ENERGY MINISTERS FAMOUSLY SAID
TO HIS KING WE BETTER REMEMBER THE STONE AGE DID NOT END
BECAUSE OF A SHORTAGE OF STONES. IT ENDED BECAUSE SOMETHING
BETTER CAME ALONG. SOMETHING BETTER HAS COME ALONG
TO REPLACE FOSSIL FUELS BUT THE POWER OF THE FOSSIL FUEL
INDUSTRY AND THE PETRO STATES THE DEPEND ON THE REVENUE HAS
BEEN A MAJOR OBSTACLE BLOCKING PROGRESS.
LITTLE BY LITTLE THAT'S BEGINNING TO GIVE WAY.
I WANT TO THANK MY FRIEND JOHN KERRY FOR HIS TERRIFIC SERVICE
TO THE U.S. AND I THINK AROUND THE WORLD.
A DEBT OF GRATITUDE FOR HIS TIRELESS WORK. FRANCINE:
WHAT DOES JOHN KERRY STEPPING DOWN MEAN FOR EFFORTS FOR
CLIMATE CHANGE?
>> HE BROUGHT A STATURE THAT CLIMATE ENVOY NEEDS TO HAVE.
HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN JUDGED BY THE FINAL RESULT IN DUBAI.
IN THE SUMMER OLYMPICS, THE DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY AND HE
UNDERTOOK A TREMENDOUSLY DIFFICULT TASK AND DID A
TERRIFIC JOB IN MY OPINION. FRANCINE:
YOU'VE CALLED FOR THE WAY COP WORKS TO CHANGE.
>> IT'S DIFFICULT TO CHANGE IT BUT I THINK THE TIME HAS COME
BECAUSE FOR ONE THING THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW WE
WILL HAVE A PETRO STATE HOSTING WITH AN OIL AND GAS VETERAN.
REALLY. THE PERCENTAGE OF REVENUE
COMING FROM OIL AND GAS IS EVEN LARGER THAN WHAT IT WAS IN THE
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. IT'S NOT THAT THEY ARE BAD
PEOPLE WITH BAD INTENTIONS THEY JUST HAVE A STRUCTURAL CONFLICT
OF INTEREST. ALSO THERE IS ANOTHER PROBLEM. WHEN THE U.S.
SELECTS DIFFERENT REGIONS THEY ROTATE THROUGH DIFFERENT
REGIONS OF THE WORLD. ANY NATION WITHIN THAT REGION
HAS A VETO POWER OVER WHETHER COMPTON BE HELD.
RUSSIA SAID YOU CANNOT HAVE IT
IN ANY COUNTRY THAT HAS SANE POLICIES, MY EDITORIAL ADD
THERE. IN SO IT ENDED UP IN ONE OF THE
ANCIENT HOMES OF THE PETROLEUM INDUSTRY.
I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THE SECRETARY-GENERAL SHOULD HAVE
JOINT AUTHORITY OF THE HOST NATION TO NAME PRESIDENT OF THE
COP. THE SECRETARY-GENERAL DOES NOT
WANT THAT AUTHORITY. I THINK THE TIME HAS COME TO
REFORM THIS PROCESS.
THE WORLD IS GETTING UNDERSTANDABLY IMPATIENT AND
FRUSTRATED THAT THESE CONFERENCES ARE RIGGED.
THE DECK IS STACKED IN FAVOR OF THE FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY.
FRANCINE: WE DID HAVE AGREEMENT. >> SUCH AS THEY ARE.
THERE ARE LOOPHOLES AND SO MANY
TRICKY PHRASES AND IT TOOK 28 BEFORE WE COULD USE THE PHRASE
FOSSIL FUEL. THE CLIMATE CRISIS IS A FOSSIL
FUEL CRISIS. AND YET IT'S TAKEN US THIS LONG
TO OVERCOME. FRANCINE: WHAT HAPPENS TO CLIMATE CHANGE
PLEDGES. IF PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS A SECOND
TERM?
>> I THINK THAT IN SPITE OF THE LOOPHOLES IN THIS AGREEMENT AND
IN SPITE OF THE FRUSTRATION MANY OF THE CLIMATE ADVOCATES
SUCH AS I HAVE FELT ABOUT IT, NEVERTHELESS WE SEE THE
DIRECTION OF TRAVEL AS THEY USE THAT PHRASE FOR BOTH BUSINESS
AND GOVERNMENT. SHIFTING INEXORABLY TOWARDS LOW
CARBON RENEWABLE ENERGY AND TOWARDS NET ZERO.
WE SEE THE SAME THING HERE AT THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM.
THIS PLACE IS SOMETIMES CRITICIZED.
IT IS UNIQUE IN BRINGING ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE TOGETHER IN A
WAY THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN ANYWHERE ELSE.
YOUR QUESTION WAS -- FRANCINE: IF PRESIDENT TRUMP GETS TO THE
WHITE HOUSE.
>> I OF COURSE HOPE THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN.
MANY OF MY FELLOW AMERICANS WHO ARE FOR HIM.
THE LAST TIME WHEN HE BECAME PRESIDENT WE CONTINUED THE
MARCH TOWARDS RENEWABLE ENERGY. ON THE BUSINESS SIDE AND STATE
GOVERNMENTS CONTINUED TO PURSUE CARBON REDUCTION.
HERE IN DAVOS A REPUBLICAN RED STATE GOVERNOR FROM GEORGIA IS
LEADING OFF AND TALKING ABOUT THE VIRTUES OF ELECTRIC
VEHICLES. WE ARE SEEING WITH THE LEGISLATION PRESIDENT BIDEN GOT
PAST THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT , WE ARE SEEING A CHANGE IN
A POLITICAL REALITIES ON THE GROUND IN THE U.S.
WITH THE CREATION OF TENS OF THOUSANDS OF NEW JOBS.
WIND, SOLAR, EFFICIENCY, GREEN HYDROGEN. NOW SOME OF THESE RED
STATES ARE SEEING THE BENEFITS OF THESE NEW JOBS BEING CREATED.
IT'S CHANGE THE REALITY. FRANCINE:
DO YOU THINK DONALD TRUMP WON'T TRY TO TOUCH THAT?
>> I WOULDN'T EVEN BEGIN TO PREDICT WHAT GOES ON IN HIS
CALCULATIONS.
OF COURSE TONIGHT WE WILL SEE THE RESULTS OF THE FIRST
CONTEST WHICH ALL THE PUNDITS TELL US IS LIKELY -- HE IS
LIKELY TO WIN. IN NEW HAMPSHIRE IT WILL BE --
IT COULD BE A DIFFERENT STORY. I AM NOT A POLITICAL PUNDIT AND
MYSELF.
I DO NOT THINK -- I KNOW THIS LOOMS OVER MANY PEOPLE'S
CALCULATIONS THESE DAYS. EVEN IF HE WERE TO WIN I THINK
WE WOULD SEE A CONTINUATION OF THE PROGRESS TOWARDS ZERO
CARBON.