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Clean Technology Marches Forward at Davos Despite Policy Challenges, Says Al Gore

DAVOS, Switzerland — January 21, 2026 — At the 56th World Economic Forum in Davos, leaders and policymakers gathered against a backdrop of geopolitical tension and economic uncertainty to discuss the future of climate action and the global energy transition. Amid discussions of trade, security and global growth, former U.S. Vice-President and longtime climate advocate Al Gore delivered a stark assessment of the interplay between political will and technological momentum in the fight against climate change.  

Moderating a panel on the second day of the forum, Gore argued that while political momentum on climate policy appears to be slowing in some places, the broader transition to clean energy continues unabated.

"I see a climate policy recession, but not a recession in the energy transition," Gore said, speaking to a small audience in one of the forum's early sessions. "That, he explained, is because policy is controlled by governments — ‘and too many governments are now, unfortunately, controlled by special interests,' namely the fossil fuel industry which is ‘significantly better at capturing politicians than at capturing emissions.'"  

Gore's comments highlighted a growing divide between formal climate policy and market dynamics. Despite uneven political commitments in some countries, renewable energy and clean technology investments continue to surge, driven by rapidly falling costs and expanding capacity worldwide.

Industry data from 2025 underscores that new global electricity capacity additions were overwhelmingly in renewables, revealing that clean energy technologies are increasingly outcompeting fossil fuels on an economic basis. This trend reflects an energy transition powered as much by innovation and market forces as by government regulation.  

Yet Gore's remarks serve as a sober reminder: technology alone will not secure a sustainable future without consistent policy support. As governments grapple with pressure from entrenched fossil fuel interests, the path toward net-zero emissions remains politically contested.

The Davos forum also reflected broader global concerns: leaders discussed economic resilience in the face of trade disputes and shifting geopolitical dynamics, while energy security and technological change took center stage alongside climate discussions.  

In his address, Gore stressed that the energy transition's momentum — from solar panels and wind turbines to battery storage and electric vehicles — must be matched by equivalent political determination. Without that, the growing clean tech revolution may yet fall short of the scale and speed needed to meet international climate goals.