

How the world's energy economics flipped with Al Gore and Lila Preston
Sep 16, 2025
Join former Vice President Al Gore, a notable climate action advocate, and Lila Preston, a partner at Generation Investment Management. Together, they discuss the remarkable shift in energy investment—from 35% in fossils to 65% in renewables. Discover how China leads the charge with EVs making up 60% of new sales. They also tackle the dual-edged sword of AI's massive energy needs and its potential to either hinder or help climate initiatives. Plus, Gore shares insights on the waning political power of fossil fuel interests amid rising community activism.
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Energy Investment Has Reversed
- Global energy finance has flipped: 65% now funds renewables versus 35% for fossil fuels.
- Falling costs for solar, wind, and especially utility-scale batteries are accelerating the transition.
EVs Hit An Inflection Point
- EV adoption is at an inflection point with plug-in cars hitting ~25% of global new sales.
- China leads with ~60% of new car sales being plug-in EVs, driving broader transport electrification.
Measure Emissions Independently
- Use independent monitoring to replace lost regulatory reporting when governments rollback rules.
- Support tools like Climate Trace to transparently measure emissions city-by-city and sector-by-sector.