Former US Vice President Al Gore has speculated that fear of being "bullied" by Donald Trump may have influenced billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates' surprising reversal on climate crisis priorities.
Trump's Influence and Climate Backtrack
In an exclusive interview with The Guardian at the COP30 United Nations climate summit in Belém, Brazil, Gore described Gates' new position as "silly" and criticised Trump as "the most corrupt president in American history." Gore warned that Trump was "badly damaging the US economy" by withdrawing from renewable energy and promoting fossil fuels.
Gore highlighted China's green technology exports now exceed all US fossil fuel exports globally, a trend he said is "accelerating quite dramatically." The comments came after Gates made international headlines by arguing for pushing climate crisis down the global agenda in favour of health issues.
"The idea of slowing down on climate again, every climate scientist that I know and respect just threw up their hands and said: 'What in the world is he thinking?'" Gore stated.
Questioning Motives and Defending Climate Action
Gore noted that when Trump was re-elected, "Bill fired most of his climate staffers and went to the White House and lavished praise on Trump." He suggested many US business leaders fear reprisals from the president if they disagree with him.
"It may be that he is really worried that Trump will bully him the way he has bullied other ultra-wealthy business people," Gore said. "It looks like it may be possible that he's scared of Trump."
The former vice-president emphasised that setting up climate crisis and global health as opposing choices is fundamentally wrong. "The World Health Organisation has said long since that climate is the No 1 health threat to humanity," he added.
Gore argued that instead of reducing climate funding, Gates should advocate for redirecting hundreds of billions in fossil fuel subsidies toward health initiatives. "It's literally insane that governments around the world are forcing their taxpayers to subsidise the destruction of part of humanity's future," he stated.
COP30 Progress and Climate Optimism
Gore robustly defended the UN climate conference process, stating: "The Cop process accomplishes far more than it is given credit for." He explained that the summits serve as a nucleus for industry, NGOs, and civil society groups to form agreements that drive progress.
Industries and governments are advancing new technology and implementing renewable energy initiatives at an accelerating pace, according to Gore. "The sustainability revolution has shifted into high gear, and more and more nations are now realising that this is the future," he said.
Gore also highlighted positive political developments in the US, noting recent election defeats for Republican candidates and a "generational change" toward climate action among American citizens. He suggested Trump might face a "less obsequious" Congress following these results.
During his COP30 presentation, Gore showed dramatic images of climate-related disasters worldwide, asking delegates: "How long are we going to stand by and keep turning the thermostat up?" He promoted his Climate Trace project, which maps planet-heating emissions globally, declaring that "political will is a renewable resource" in the fight against climate change.
