The former vice president was one of the speakers at Bloomberg Green’s live event, ‘The Time Is Now.’
戈爾告訴這次虛擬現場活動的觀眾，全球如此多的經濟刺激計劃都聚焦于碳
減排，這讓他備受鼓舞，這表明世界已經跨過了一個門檻，他說：“跨越這一門檻后，越來越明顯的是，可持續發展的技術將會變得更加高效經濟?！?/div>
Former Vice President Al Gore told the audience at Bloomberg Green’s virtual live event, “The Time Is Now,” that he’s encouraged by the fact that so many economic stimulus plans across the globe are focused on carbon reduction. It shows, he said, that the world has crossed a threshold “beyond which it is ever clearer that sustainable technologies are cheaper and better.”
戈爾在大會閉幕式上發表講話。一同發表講話的還有微軟首席可持續發展官盧卡斯·喬帕，羅斯福氣候
政策研究所所長瑞安娜·甘恩-賴特和著名的氣候經濟學家尼古拉斯·斯特恩。所有嘉賓都談到了新冠帶來的挑戰，但同時也指出新冠也代表一個機遇，它是全球應對氣候變化的一個潛在轉折點。
Gore spoke in the closing session of the conference, which also featured Microsoft Chief Sustainability Officer Lucas Joppa, Roosevelt Institute Director of Climate Policy Rhiana Gunn-Wright, and famed climate economist Nicholas Stern. All the guests addressed the challenges created by Covid-19, but also the opportunity it represents as a potential turning point for the global effort to fight climate change.
在場的其他嘉賓包括普林斯維爾資本氣候策略主管美蘭妮·中川和EIG合作伙伴的高級副總裁馬塞莉婭·弗里曼。
Other guests included Melanie Nakagawa, director of climate strategy at Princeville Capital, and Marcelia Freeman, senior vice president at EIG Partners.
倫敦經濟學院格蘭瑟姆氣候變化研究所所長斯特恩說，新型冠狀病毒大流行為全球氣候政策創造了新的政治動力。他說：“民意調查顯示人們希望更好地重建生活。人們認識到舊有體系很危險，也認識到我們能夠快速改變。政治領導人不僅有這樣做的空間，而且有這樣做的壓力。”
The coronavirus pandemic has created new political momentum for climate policies across the globe, said Stern, who chairs London School of Economics’ Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change. “If you look at the opinion polls,” he said, “they show that people want to build back better. They recognize the old system was dangerous and they recognize that we can change quickly. The political leaders not only have the space to do it, they have the pressure to do it.”
在歐洲，這肯定是正確的。歐洲領導人在7月21日通過了針對整個歐盟的經濟刺激計劃，其中5720億美元用于綠色優先發展事項。但是，在美國，日益加劇的政治兩極分化需要有差別的戰略方針。美國綠色新政的設計者之一岡恩·賴特呼吁著重強調應對氣候變化的環境影響的氣候正義。
That’s certainly true in Europe, where leaders on Tuesday passed a bloc-wide stimulus package that included $572 billion for green priorities. In the U.S., however, increased political polarization requires a different strategic approach. Gunn-Wright, one of the architects of the Green New Deal, called for a greater emphasis on climate justice in dealing with the environmental effects of climate change.
賴特說：“要想在缺乏一方支持的情況下推動某事，就需要各種族合作?！?“這很難辦到，除非能夠創造更加公正和公平的社會來談論氣候?！?/div>
“To move something with no support on one side, you need multiracial coalitions,” Gunn-Wright said. “And that is difficult to do unless you are speaking about climate in a way that creates a more just and equitable society.”
賴特和戈爾都對民主黨總統候選人拜登上周發布的氣候計劃表示贊賞。該提案呼吁在四年內投資2萬億美元，使美國在2035年之前實現100％無碳發電。它還承諾將40％的投資投入到受氣候變化沖擊更大的社區，這些社區往往是
有色人種的社區。盡管戈爾稱該計劃“令人印象深刻”，但賴特也警告說，如果不采取全面的措施，該計劃仍可能無法實現其氣候正義目標。
Gunn-Wright and Gore both spoke approvingly of the climate plan released last week by the Democratic nominee for president, Joe Biden. The proposal called for $2 trillion of investment over four years to move the nation to 100% carbon-free electric generation by 2035, among other goals. It also committed to putting 40% of that investment into communities that have disproportionately borne the brunt of climate change, which tend to be communities of color. While Gore called the plan “pretty impressive,” Gunn-Wright also warned that without taking a holistic approach, the plan could still fall short of its climate justice goals.
喬帕談到了企業在應對氣候變化中的所扮演的角色。他說，盡管企業無法取代強大的政府監管體系，但它們在實現國家雄心勃勃的
碳減排目標中起著至關重要的作用。
Joppa spoke to the role corporations have in working against climate change. While they can’t take the place of a strong governmental regulatory system, he said, they have a crucial role in meeting the nation’s ambitious carbon reduction goals.
喬帕說：“我們需要對必要的事情以及像微軟這樣的公司可以扮演的角色進行廣泛的了解?！痹谡劦綔p排量時，他補充說：“我們需要證明這不僅可行，而且對生意有利?！?/div>
“We need to take a very broad view on what’ s necessary and the role that a company like Microsoft can play,” Joppa said. Referring to emissions reductions he added, “We need to show that this isn’t just possible but also good for business.”
今年年初，微軟宣布到2030年將實現負
碳排放。7月20日，微軟宣布其將成為一個新的跨國公司聯盟的創始成員，其中包括耐克、星巴克、聯合利華和達能等一批全球大公司。該聯盟將齊心協力，致力于共享減少碳排放的資源與策略，并已承諾會采取行動應對氣候變化。
At the start of this year, Microsoft announced it would be carbon negative by 2030. On Monday, the software-maker said it would be a founding member of a new consortium of global corporations including Nike Inc., Starbucks Corp., Unilever NV, and Danone that’s devoted to sharing resources and tactics for slashing carbon emissions. The consortium brings together the efforts of some of the biggest global companies that have pledged to take action against climate change.
微軟在7月21日宣布，其10億美元氣候基金的第一筆投資將投向風險投資公司能源影響合作伙伴（Energy Impact Partners），該公司投資綠色能源與
交通系統領域的新技術。
On Tuesday, Microsoft announced that the first investment of its $1 billion climate fund will be in venture capital firm Energy Impact Partners, which invests in new technologies for greener energy and transportation systems.
