Think 07: Developers can save the world, says Gore

Al Gore, who produced the Oscar-winning film An Inconvenient Truth, said climate change was 'the most dangerous crisis we've ever faced in our civilisation' at the Think 07 conference on sustainability.

Speaking at Think 07 via a live video link, Gore said migration to cities from rural areas had reached unprecedented levels around the globe, giving developers a vital role in fighting climate change.

'The built environment worldwide is 50% of the problem and it must be at least as big a part of the solution,' said Gore.

He congratulated Think 07 delegates for their concern: 'You are taking a big step by coming together over three days and taking about how you can solve this crisis.’

Prescott called for 'a completely new model for the development of cities'. He promised that the Thames Gateway would set a world-wide example in sustainable development. It would prove that it is possible to create new cities while also meeting the government's targets to cut carbon emissions by 60% by 2050.

'We can achieve this if we use renewable energy, if we build zero carbon homes and if the public and private sector work together,' said Prescott.

He added: 'Climate change is the biggest challenge facing the planet. We have a moral obligation to pass the planet on to our children in a better state than when we found it.'

Think 07 runs from 1-3 May at Excel in London. For more details go to www.think07.co.uk