“The planet has not yet reached a CO₂ concentration of 500 parts per million because renewable energy generation has reduced the rate of increase in atmospheric CO₂.”

Al GoreNews reportOctober 5, 2026Read the original

Al Gore made this claim during an interview with ABC11 on 5 October 2026, reflecting on the twenty-year anniversary of his documentary, 'An Inconvenient Truth'.

Our verdict

Unverified

We cannot verify the claim that renewable energy is the reason the planet has not yet reached a CO₂ concentration of 500 parts per million. While it is true that current levels remain below this threshold, there is no clear scientific evidence to confirm that renewable energy is the primary cause for this specific rate of increase.

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What we found

It is a fact that atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have not yet reached 500 parts per million. Data from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirm that current levels are significantly lower, sitting at approximately 432 parts per million as of mid-2026.

However, we could not find sufficient evidence to support the claim that the growth of renewable energy is the specific factor preventing the concentration from hitting the 500 parts per million mark. Atmospheric CO₂ levels are influenced by a wide range of complex natural and human-driven factors, and the available data does not isolate renewable energy as the primary driver behind the current rate of change.

The numbers

Atmospheric CO2 concentration in parts per million (2026)

Atmospheric CO2 levels measured in mid-2026 remain below the 500 parts per million threshold.

Figures in ppm

Source: Scripps Institution of Oceanography, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The evidence

2 of 3 sources support the claim; none contradict it.

Contradict 0Support 2Background 1

When each source was published

Supports the claim
As of June 2026, the annual peak for atmospheric carbon dioxide was measured at 432 parts per million.
scripps.ucsd.edu· Annual Carbon Dioxide Peak Reaches 432 Parts per Million
June 4, 2026
Background
Al Gore stated that the 500 parts per million threshold has not been reached because of the growth of renewable energy.
abc11.com· 'Scientists were dead right': Al Gore says 20 years after 'An Inconvenient Truth'
June 18, 2026
Supports the claim
Data from the NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory shows that as of August 2026, the atmospheric CO₂ concentration is 427.55 parts per million, which is below the 500 parts per million threshold.
gml.noaa.gov· Trends in CO2 - NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory
September 5, 2026

What we could not confirm

We could not find enough public scientific evidence to confirm or refute the specific causal link between current renewable energy deployment and the current rate of atmospheric CO₂ increase.
If you have access to peer-reviewed studies or official climate reports that isolate the impact of renewable energy on the rate of atmospheric CO₂ growth, please send them to us for review.

How we checked

We reviewed official climate data from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to verify current CO₂ levels. We then assessed whether these sources provided evidence to link renewable energy trends directly to the rate of change in atmospheric carbon. We reviewed 3 relevant sources.

Help us check this claim

We could not find enough public evidence to confirm or refute this claim. If you know of an official record, dataset, transcript or report that settles it, send us the link. We review every submission and update this fact check when the evidence changes the picture.

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