Former US Vice President Al Gore delivered a sharp critique of the United Nations climate negotiation framework during the COP31 summit in Antalya, Turkey. Speaking to AFP on the sidelines of the event, Gore described the ability of oil-producing nations to block global climate action as "literally insane." He argued that the current consensus-based decision-making system allows individual countries, particularly those with significant fossil fuel interests, to impede progress on critical environmental measures.
Gore proposed a structural overhaul of the UN climate talks, suggesting that the consensus model be replaced with a supermajority voting system. He highlighted that nations such as Saudi Arabia, Russia, and India have frequently used their de facto veto power to dilute language regarding oil, gas, and coal in international agreements. "There's growing support for moving away from a so-called consensus model," Gore stated, emphasizing the urgency of the climate crisis as the "most serious threat to the future of humanity." He also accused Saudi Arabia of attempting to sabotage the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
The political context of these negotiations has shifted dramatically since the United States withdrew from the Paris Agreement and skipped recent UN climate talks following the return of President Donald Trump to office in 2025. Gore noted that Trump’s approach has emboldened large polluters globally. This shift was evident at the previous COP30 summit in Brazil, where the final agreement omitted any explicit mention of fossil fuels, an outcome some attributed to pressure from Saudi Arabia, Russia, and India. Although the transition away from fossil fuels was agreed upon at COP28 in 2023, the language has not been explicitly removed from existing agreements, according to Gore.
Host nation Turkey is currently championing a voluntary pledge to increase the electrification of transport, buildings, and industry. Critics argue this initiative leaves room for continued fossil fuel use in electricity generation. Gore welcomed the Turkish initiative but insisted it must be coupled with a commitment to maximize clean energy use. His Climate TRACE initiative presented data at COP31 indicating that combining electrification targets with cleaner power grids could double emissions reductions. Despite the US government's absence, Gore expressed cautious optimism regarding domestic political shifts, citing recent Democratic gains in the US midterms as a potential check on Trump’s climate policies.