AHEAD OF COP 26, CLIMATE REALITY LEADERS AND ALLIES AROUND THE GLOBE CALLED UPON LEADERS FOR REAL ACTION TO COMBAT THE CLIMATE CRISIS

Washington, DC (November 1, 2021) –  On Friday October 29, former US Vice President Al Gore and Climate Reality Leaders around the world organized digitally and within their cities, towns, communities, and countries for Climate Reality’s annual 24 Hours of Reality event, 24 Hours of Reality: Let’s Get Real.

As world leaders prepare for the global COP 26 summit in Glasgow, climate activists and allies  mobilized grassroots action to demand the real policy changes required to cut fossil fuel emissions and transition to a just clean-energy economy. Through local, regional, and national grassroots activations in Africa, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Europe, India, Indonesia, Latin America, the Philippines, and the United States, Climate Reality Leaders around the world are driving the conversation about the urgency of the climate crisis and the solutions leaders can deploy for a full 24 hours.

“Leaders can no longer delay action on the climate crisis because the people they represent will hold them to account,” said Vice President Gore, Climate Reality’s founder and chairman. “Scientists have clearly outlined what we must do to preserve and protect the planet we share. The good news is that we have the tools we need enable a historic transition to the clean energy economy of the future. Climate Reality Leaders are at the forefront of building the political will for tangible solutions, and this year’s day of action was an important opportunity for our community to make its voices heard across the globe.”

During the day-of-action, Climate Reality Leaders and movement allies participating in 24 Hours of Reality called for:

• Concrete plans for immediate reductions of greenhouse gas emissions. Climate Reality Leaders asked global leaders for true emissions reductions – no more greenwashing, no more bridge fuels, and no more vague statements without clear commitments and timelines to cut fossil fuels.
• A just transition from fossil fuels to clean energy. In a world with cost-effective clean energy, there is simply no place for fossil fuels. Climate Reality supporters called for policymakers to take action to enable a full and global renewable energy economy, while investing significantly in the frontline communities most impacted by the climate crisis and working to build truly inclusive workforces that combat historic economic, social, and racial inequities.
• Restorative justice in financing solutions. Nations most responsible for the emissions driving the climate crisis must address the damage they’ve done. Climate Reality Leaders and their networks of friends, family, and supporters called upon leaders to finance adaptation and zero-carbon development in the most-impacted nations in the years ahead.

24 Hours of Reality: Let’s Get Real is a continuation of The Climate Reality Project’s long-standing 24 Hours of Reality program. Since shifting its format from an annual broadcast to a day of action, the event catalyzed grassroots advocacy for a full day around the globe. During last year’s event, 24 Hours of Reality: Countdown to the Future, Climate Reality Leaders presented updated and personalized versions of Vice President Gore’s slideshow from An Inconvenient Truth to major international corporations, hospitals, universities, city halls, and other communities around the world.

More information about this year’s 24 Hours of Reality program, 24 Hours of Reality: Let’s Get Real, is available at 24hoursofreality.org. Join the conversation online by using the hashtag #LetsGetReal.