At COP30 in Belém, Al Gore called it "literally insane" to continue treating the atmosphere like an open sewer, noting roughly 175 million tons of greenhouse gases are emitted annually. He urged stronger mitigation and adaptation while promoting the Climate TRACE initiative for independent emissions monitoring. The summit marks ten years since the Paris Agreement, yet UN forecasts put the world on track for about 2.8°C of warming under current policies. Delegates from over 190 countries are meeting for nearly two weeks to pursue greater ambition and accountability.
Al Gore at COP30: 'Literally Insane' to Treat the Sky as an Open Sewer — Urges Stronger Action and Global Emissions Tracking
At COP30 in Belém, Al Gore called it "literally insane" to continue treating the atmosphere like an open sewer, noting roughly 175 million tons of greenhouse gases are emitted annually. He urged stronger mitigation and adaptation while promoting the Climate TRACE initiative for independent emissions monitoring. The summit marks ten years since the Paris Agreement, yet UN forecasts put the world on track for about 2.8°C of warming under current policies. Delegates from over 190 countries are meeting for nearly two weeks to pursue greater ambition and accountability.
04:30 PM, 11/13/2025Environment
Al Gore at COP30: 'Literally Insane' to Treat the Sky as an Open Sewer
Former US vice‑president Al Gore delivered a forceful appeal to delegates at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, warning that continuing to misuse the atmosphere is "literally insane." Speaking on Wednesday, he cited figures showing roughly 175 million tons of climate‑damaging greenhouse gases are released into the air each year, a scale of pollution he said demands both mitigation and adaptation.
"We need to adapt as well as mitigate, but we also need to be realistic that if we allow this insanity to continue, to use the sky as an open sewer, that some things will be very difficult to adapt to."
Gore emphasized the need for reliable data and strong accountability. He highlighted the Climate TRACE initiative, a non‑profit coalition he co‑founded that independently monitors greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants using satellite data, ground observations and machine learning to provide transparent, verifiable tracking.
The summit marks ten years since the Paris Agreement, when nations committed to strive to limit warming to as close as possible to 1.5°C above pre‑industrial levels. However, a current United Nations forecast warns that, under existing national policies, the world is on track for roughly 2.8°C of warming — a gap that highlights the urgency of accelerating emissions cuts and improving climate resilience.
COP30 opened on Monday in Belém, bringing together delegates from more than 190 countries for nearly two weeks of negotiations and discussions aimed at closing the ambition gap and boosting international cooperation to tackle the climate crisis.