FORMER US Vice President Al Gore has challenged Gibraltar to become a role model for countries around the world after praising the Rock’s green credentials.
The prominent climate change campaigner alluded to Gibraltar’s strategic role in military history by claiming that the threat of global warming represented a similar challenge, during Sunday’s Thinking Green conference.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner spent an hour-and-a-half outlining the risks posed by climate change before answering questions from the audience.
“History has been made on this Rock when it has faced challenges, and now it is doing it again,” the former US presidential candidate said.
“Gibraltar has an opportunity to become a role model and to inspire others by proving that it can be done.
He added: “Gibraltar has a young and enthusiastic leader who is willing to give climate change the attention it deserves and you are setting an example to others around the world.”
The conference was also addressed by Juan Verde, an advisor to President Barack Obama, who urged Gibraltar to become completely sustainable.
Describing climate change as ‘a real and present danger’, Verde said: “I think Gibraltar is small enough to become fully sustainable.
“You can’t do that in America because it would take decades, but here you could do it in a matter of years.
“Gibraltar is as great and good as it wants to be and it’s clear to me that it’s game for the challenges faced by climate change.”
Environment minister Dr John Cortes described the conference as an important day for the Rock and claimed Gibraltar could become an incubator for innovation.
