Al Gore added that all that is needed is "political will" and jokingly remarked that "political will is a renewable source in itself."
"We will solve it, I am sure. The question is: Will we achieve it before the worst catastrophes occur? Look at what happened in Valencia because 'the Mediterranean has turned into a jacuzzi'," Al Gore pointed out, referring to the recent dana that caused over 200 deaths.
In that sense, Ribera called for a revival of citizens' appetite to accelerate this "profound transformation" with benefits in both macro and microeconomics for societies.
"It is not only about the significant business opportunities that (climate action) represents, but people must tangibly experience the benefits in their daily lives: in how they live, how they pay their bills, in a healthier environment, or in food security," and "it is necessary to support the middle classes to face the costs of this 'profound transformation' of the economic system.
Ribera met yesterday in Davos with Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates, discussing "the need to accelerate clean energy transport and storage technologies," and with a dozen European commissioners, European sources told EFE.
The general feeling is that Trump is wrong to dismantle the climate incentives of the Biden era, and "a huge opportunity for the EU" is opening up, which the European Commission must "translate (...) into concrete instruments," the sources added.