Former US vice president Al Gore speaks at Melbourne summit

UPDATE: AUDIENCE members have been stopped from taking pictures during Al Gore’s eco speech in Melbourne today, as Victoria joins other states in signing a climate leadership declaration.

Al Gore arriving for his address today. Picture: AAP

AUDIENCE members were stopped from taking pictures during Al Gore’s address in Melbourne today.

It comes as Victoria’s energy minister Lily D’Ambrosio announced the state will grow renewable energy by 40 per cent by 2025.

Representatives from Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and the ACT jointly signed a new action plan this morning at a meeting with Mr Gore, the former US vice president.

The declaration will see the four states take a leading stance on climate change and cutting carbon emissions.

The declaration supports Australia’s ratification of the Paris Climate Agreement and says Australia must play its full and fair part in global efforts to keep warning well below 2C and pursue efforts to limit warming to 1.5C.

Former US vice president Al Gore visits the Southbank tram depot and takes a tram ride with Victorian Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D'Ambrosio. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Ms D’Ambrosio also took a swipe at the federal government and promised Victoria won’t “be sidetracked by the nonsense rollercoaster ride of policy and uncertainty that’s been presented by our federal government”.

“We want to show the leadership that all Victorians and Australians are yearning for,” she said.

“Our government is very clear in our plans and commitments. We’re getting on and doing it and that’s what people want, that’s what people deserve and we will give it to them.”

Ms D’Ambrosio said the benefits of states going alone when it came to renewable energy was driving change which translated to a national level.

“When we stand still at a national level we are actually taking Australians backwards,” she said.

“We’re not doing that in Victoria. We’re getting on with it and we’re delivering it.”

Al Gore (front left) - with South Australia Water Minister Ian Hunter, Ms D'Ambrosio, Queensland's Deputy Premier Jackie Trad and ACT Climate Change Minister Shane Rattenbury - sign up to an emissions target during their meeting in Melbourne. Picture: AAP

Mr Gore commended the state government and described today’s announcement as an “inspiring act of leadership”.

“One of the inspiring symbols of this plan is this is the largest tram network in the entire world and is now going to be running entirely on solar energy,” Mr Gore said.

“I predict it will become a symbol of the renewable energy revolution worldwide.”

The announcement comes after a number of people were physically stopped by security staff from taking mobile phone pictures of Mr Gore during his keynote address at the Ecocity conference.

Audience members were physically stopped from recording the speech. Picture: AAP

The audience was also told not to record his speech.

The Herald Sun was also prevented from taking pictures inside the auditorium at the Melbourne Convention Centre on the instructions of Mr Gore’s entourage.

The former US vice president said in his speech that man-made pollution was equivalent to 400,000 Hiroshima atomic bombs every day.

He says the world is only getting hotter, with 2016 the hottest year on record and Australian heatwaves now five times more likely due to global warming.

Al Gore in Melbourne #theheraldsun https://t.co/AExhBpUbDo

— Andrew Jefferson (@AndyJeffo) July 13, 2017

The four states’ agreement, that sidesteps the federal government on energy policy, is a commitment to reducing its emissions to net zero by 2050.

Ms D’Ambrosio was also due to speak at the Ecocity Summit, that aims to slow down global heating by taking action in cities.

Renewable energy was high on the list of topics for Mr Gore at the summit, saying earlier this week that he hoped Australia would put shifting to renewable energy “at the top of the list”.

Mr Gore said given the availability of solar, wind and batteries as renewable energy sources, and their dramatic fall in cost, it makes economic sense for countries to switch from heavy-polluting fossil fuels.

“Those countries that take a leadership role will benefit most from the new jobs that are being created,” Mr Gore said earlier this week.

“The fastest-growing jobs in the world are in renewable energy. In my country solar jobs are growing 17 times faster than other jobs in the economy.”

Mr Gore is in Australia ahead of the release of An Inconvenient Sequel, the follow up to his Oscar-winning 2006 documentary on global warming.

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