Gore hails ‘critical turning point’ for clean energy

Former vice-president says momentum for change created by $370bn support package will be ‘unstoppable’

- Oliver Milman

The US passing its first climate legislation will prove a pivotal moment in history that will help bring to an end the era of fossil fuels, according to Al Gore, the former US vice-president.

Joe Biden’s signing of a $370bn package of clean energy spending will overcome decades of political rancour and inaction on the climate crisis. Gore said he was sure the fossil fuel industry and its political backers w ould not be able to reverse the shift to a decarboni sed world, even if Republicans we re able to wrest back control of Congress or the White House.

“In crossing this threshold we have changed history and will never go backwards,” Gore told the Guardian in an interview. “I’m extremely optimistic that this will be a critical turning point in our struggle to confront the climate crisis.”

While the oil and gas industry is making enormous profits offthe back of soaring fuel prices spurred by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Gore insisted this was “momentary” compared to the big wheel that was now turning on renewable energy.