Alex Rendell to Al Gore on Climate Change “We will follow through your footsteps.” 

Alex Rendell and Al Gore exchange ideas on climate change sparks conversations on sustainability in Thailand.

KBank Private Banking held a virtual seminar called “Sustainability Revolution: A Call for Action” on Wednesday August 26, 2020. The event aimed to drive forward a sustainable movement through investments in Thailand.

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Among the event’s speakers were Mr. Al Gore, the 45th Vice President of the United States of America and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate of 2007, and Mr. Alex Rendell, actor and the first UN Environment Program National Goodwill Ambassador for Thailand.

Mr. Gore first gave a speech about the current environmental issues and stating that he firmly believes that investors and businesses have a crucial role to play in the climate crisis.

Mr. Rendell and Mr. Gore then discussed the current environmental impacts and degradation to help raise awareness and spark sustainable investing.

Mr. Rendell started off by praising Mr. Gore’s speech and agreed that climate change is a very serious situation in this generation. He proceeded to question Mr. Gore why he believes climate change still has to remain a top priority despite the pandemic and inequality issues going on in the present day.

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Mr. Gore responded by stating that the climate crisis is “by far the most dangerous threat to human civilization,” also mentioning that it was not “a contest” between the pandemic and the climate crisis because they are issues that are woven together.

He stated that the burning of fossil fuels not only creates global warming pollution but also the air pollution that makes it dangerous to breathe and that that pollution is a condition for higher death rates in the pandemic. The death rate goes up with people who are breathing in air pollution.

Mr. Gore adds that when the pandemic is over, millions of jobs need to be created to stimulate a sustainable recovery of the economy. The solution he suggests is that the climate crisis represents the best opportunities for millions of jobs and that the fastest growing jobs in the United States are related to solar and wind energy.

Mr. Rendell says to Mr. Gore that there’s a lot of business leaders in the audience and questions how business leaders can play a part in making a change. He also asks if a zero emission economy is possible, since many don’t believe so.

Mr. Gore replies by saying that a zero emission economy is achievable and thanks Mr. Rendell for his work as an ambassador on climate issues. He continues by stating that when most business leaders today try to hire the smartest people coming out of universities, they find themselves also getting interviewed by the graduates.

This is because this generation deeply cares about the future of sustainability and want to work for businesses that share their values and are part of a business that is helping make the future better. Customers also want to associate themselves with businesses that are part of the solution to the environmental crisis, not part of the problem.

Mr. Rendell expresses that he has been fighting for environmental issues for only almost ten years, compared to Mr. Gore’s forty years of experience. He questions Mr. Gore about his continued fight, “What keeps that fire in you? Why are you still so optimistic despite all the challenges you must have faced all these years?”

Mr. Gore admits that he would have never imagined that this (environmental advocacy) would dominate his life and that it is a blessing to have work that means a lot to him. He tells a story of how when he was in college he took a course taught by a climate scientist and his interest took off from there. Then, when he was in the U.S. Congress, he discovered that nobody was really doing anything about climate issues so he began the journey to find solutions.

He states that he can’t just leave the cause because he cares deeply about it and sees that there is progress being made. Even though some problems are happening faster than solutions, there is momentum being made and that “soon, I am convinced that we will have the ability to overtake this crisis.”

He also compares it to the civil rights movement in which young people led the way, and that with this climate crisis, young people are leading the way too. He encourages, “Let’s do more because action is needed.”

In conclusion, Mr. Rendell asks Mr. Gore to give a message to the Thai public.

Mr. Gore states that the world has massive respect for Thailand and that Thailand has the opportunity to lead, as Thailand has signed the Paris Agreement. He concludes that he hopes that Thailand will “encourage leadership to increase ambition and be part of the solution to this crisis.”

Mr. Rendell thanks Mr. Gore for his time, inspiration, and that “We will follow through your footsteps.” 

มร. ฮูเบิร์ต เคลเลอร์ Managing Partner, Lombard Odier