How the world’s energy economics flipped with Al Gore and Lila Preston

This week on StrictlyVC Download, TechCrunch EIC Connie Loizos sits down with former Vice President Al Gore and Lila Preston of sustainability-focused investment firm Generation Investment Management to explore their ninth annual Sustainability Trends Report and how the global climate transition is accelerating despite political headwinds.

While traditional media focuses on Trump administration rollbacks, the three discuss why renewable energy economics have fundamentally shifted, with 65% of energy investment now flowing to renewables versus just 35% to fossil fuels, a complete reversal from a decade ago. They dive into how China has become the world’s first “electro-state” with EVs representing 60% of new car sales; how AI’s massive energy demands could either derail or accelerate climate progress through a $500 billion data center buildout; and Gore’s theory that the fossil fuel industry’s political capture is weakening as communities fight back against environmental injustice.

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