The Climate Reality Project, a nonprofit climate organisation founded by former US Vice President Al Gore, is about to make hops all over the world with the REALITY Tour. The idea is to build the political will, public momentum, and ambition for bold climate commitments leading up to the UNFCCC’s COP 30 in Brazil.
It’s – as claimed by the team- a first for The Climate Reality Project, and Al Gore will give his signature presentation on the climate crisis in 12 languages, using AI provided by technology from Metaphysic, enabling people from around the world to tune in live to learn the latest about climate impacts and solutions. With advocacy trainings and discussions, this tour aims to equip individuals with the know-how, skills, and network to drive real change in their industries and communities while pushing their governments for ambitious commitments in line with the Paris Agreement.
We caught up with Aditya Pundir, Director of India and South Asia at The Climate Reality Project in the pitstop before the tour begins soon. He tells us why the world needs to tie its shoe laces for what’s coming and what should the Global South be busy with- specially when COP 29 was a major disappointment in terms of financial commitments. Also what would happen as the U.S. stays absent from climate change discussions and as fossil fuels, tech behemoths, AI and EVs become more real than something in the rear-view mirror or around-the-bend.
How has the journey of ‘The Climate Reality Project’ been-so far?
We started our journey with a training in 2008. A second training was organised in 2015, and they have helped us train more than 1,500 climate leaders in the region, focusing on developing leadership in communities, particularly among youth, to address the climate crisis.
India, being a young country demographically, we focused on climate education and behavioral changes in youth. This has led to two major initiatives: The Teachers Training Program on climate change and the Green Campus Program.
Under the capacity-building program for teachers, more than 17,000 teachers have been trained in science, impacts, and solutions to climate change all over the country. To further strengthen networking among educators, we helped conceptualise and organise an annual International Conference on Sustainability Education in Delhi, in collaboration with our partners. The conference has been very well received.
Aditya Pundir, Director of India and South Asia at The Climate Reality Project
If you were to pick 3 salient areas of action/impact (done till now) here, what would they be?
The Green Campus Program, started in 2019, aims to transform schools and universities into resource- efficient campuses working towards net-zero goals. This program addresses key areas such as energy, water, waste, biodiversity, and clean air, involving students, staff, and the community in sustainable practices. To date, over 100 institutions have adopted green practices, and more than 1,000 campuses have expressed interest in joining. The branch is also engaged in capacity-building projects, such as partnering in the Million Trees Campaign in Odisha after Cyclone Fani. Here, the preference is for fruit trees to enhance the incomes of farmers and marginalised communities, thereby promoting climate justice for coastal and indigenous populations.
Additionally, the organisation has contributed to promoting rainwater harvesting, electric vehicles, and advancing green finance education and policy implementation. Another point to highlight is ‘what’s next’ on the journey of The Climate Reality Project. This year, Climate Reality is embarking on an ambitious REALITY Tour, which will have a huge global impact. The Tour is going to include major in-person trainings all over the world, in locations like Paris, Nairobi, Rio de Janeiro, and Ulaanbaatar, as well as satellite events at Climate Reality branches. We have an event happening right here in India in Delhi on April 5th!
What issues are on the top bracket for your think-tank? Specially at a global level?
At a global level, our branch is focusing on two main issues. The first is moving away from fossil fuels. We are supporting clean energy and have been strongly advocating for increased financial support to help the sector grow faster.
Secondly, we are pushing for greater attention on adaptation funding and policy measures to enhance community resilience in Global South countries against the rapidly visible impacts of climate change.
What should developing countries be worried about and doing more in this context? Is the Global North vs. Global South tussle a big concern?
The reality that Global South countries must develop their own mitigation and adaptation plans is becoming increasingly evident. COP 29 was a major disappointment in terms of financial commitments. We do not foresee any significant upturns in the coming days regarding technology transfer or financial commitments, which is a major cause for concern. The 1.5°C threshold was breached last year and may become a recurring issue in the years ahead. The Global South is also experiencing disproportionate impacts of climate change. Under these circumstances, it is crucial that Global South countries focus on indigenous solutions and capacity-building techniques moving forward.
With the conspicuous absence of US from many discussions and policy-framing- work, how much can climate change efforts cover – specially with regards to industrial emissions, IPCC Assessments skip-outs and fossil fuel U-turns seen recently?
With the U.S. absent from climate change discussions, there is a significant risk of losing global momentum and weakening upcoming international agreements. Under the previous administration, the government had been pushing hard to achieve net-zero ambitions, not only in the U.S. but also in other parts of the world. Now, with that pressure no longer present, there will be a leadership vacuum. Additionally, there will be considerable financial setbacks as the U.S. withdraws funding from many climate adaptation and mitigation efforts globally.
Regarding industrial emissions, with the U.S. walking out of the talks, industries that contribute significantly to global emissions may stop reporting their emissions. This could disrupt global auditing processes. However, we remain hopeful that companies like Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and Tesla will take the lead in maintaining compliance and driving progress toward net-zero goals.
There will be a leadership vacuum because of the absence of the US in discussions. Additionally, there will be considerable financial setbacks as the U.S. withdraws funding from many climate adaptation and mitigation efforts globally.
The U.S. government’s push for fossil fuel expansion will put additional strain on achieving the 1.5°C target by 2030. Furthermore, with the ongoing war in Ukraine and European countries planning to cut climate funding in favor of strengthening defense, climate adaptation and mitigation efforts in both developed and developing nations could face significant financial constraints.
We hope that some European countries, U.S. states, and global tech companies will come together to provide leadership in emission reduction. Movements like Climate Reality will also play a key role in amplifying the voices of common citizens and emphasizing the urgency of transitioning to clean energy.
“The reality of this crisis is all around us as climate impacts continue to get worse faster than we are taking climate action.” What’s ‘worse’ and what’s ‘action’ in this sentence from Al Gore?
Al Gore is highlighting the seriousness of the current situation. As mentioned earlier, the deadline for avoiding a catastrophic temperature rise beyond 1.5°C by the end of the century seems to be slipping out of reach unless the world takes quick and effective action to mitigate climate change. The first major milestone is 2030, but achieving emissions reduction targets is already proving difficult.
This will make the impacts even more severe. We can expect intense heatwaves in South Asia, where temperatures are already reaching 50°C in many parts of the subcontinent. This could lead to a health emergency and widespread loss of livelihoods as agricultural output declines in regions already struggling with hunger and droughts.
Extreme weather events have been occurring regularly in South Asia over the past few years, leading to flash floods in many large cities, resulting in loss of life and property. These events are expected to become even more intense as climate change accelerates, putting additional areas at risk of extreme weather conditions.
Sea level rise is becoming a serious threat in Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka. The Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest, is now at risk. We are already witnessing biodiversity loss and declining livelihoods for people in the region. If climate change continues to intensify, even more of this critical ecosystem could be lost.
The way forward is to transition rapidly to cleaner sources of energy. This means phasing out coal and oil as soon as possible, followed by the eventual phase-out of bridge fuels like natural gas. The speed at which we shift to clean energy will determine the success or failure of the climate movement. Al Gore is calling for urgent action on this issue, and that action must happen at scale.
AI data centers are highly power-hungry, and if they operate on fossil fuels, their carbon footprint would be significantly large
Where would AI, Quantum Computing and EVs lead us on this path? Are they adversaries, new challenges or allies in fighting climate change?
The emerging fields of AI, quantum computing, and electric vehicles (EVs) will be strong allies in the fight against climate change. However, before we build on this argument, I would like to emphasize that they must be powered by renewable energy. AI data centers are highly power-hungry, and if they operate on fossil fuels, their carbon footprint would be significantly large. Similarly, for EVs, if charging stations are not backed by renewable energy, the net benefit is minimal.
The benefits of AI can be tremendous. AI can help optimise energy use and improve climate modeling. The current research movement toward smarter cities and transport optimization is leveraging AI as an enabler. This could lead to substantial emission reductions and an overall improvement in quality of life.
For example, in cities like Delhi or Mumbai, the combination of AI-driven optimisation and EV adoption could result in significant air quality improvements. This, in turn, would lead to better health outcomes for more than 50 million people in just these two cities.
For EVs, if charging stations are not backed by renewable energy, the net benefit is minimal.
What do you feel about the argument that most of the climate action today hinges more on fear, narrow lenses, despair and anxiety rather than positive and practical solutions- as argued by Michael Shellenberger in ‘Apocalypse Never’?
When I entered the field of climate change in 2007, I often emphasised in my presentations that these severe impacts would occur within the lifetime of our grandchildren. Unfortunately, the past couple of years have seriously challenged this assumption, as many of these severe events have already begun and are expected to intensify over time.
Michael’s point about emphasising technology and innovation moving forward is certainly a great idea and will be essential in addressing the crisis. However, the unfortunate reality is that we do not yet have all the necessary solutions in place, and we also do not have the luxury of time.
I personally believe that both approaches are necessary. On one hand, we need to encourage people to move forward and drive change, while on the other, we must recognize the urgency and gravity of climate change events.
Which is your favourite movie about Climate Change?
Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth is a masterpiece, it is still relevant and I always recommend it to my friends and family looking for a place to start their journey in understanding climate change.
By Pratima H
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