KEY POINTS:
Former United States vice president Al Gore said today the New Zealand Government was providing "tremendous" leadership in tackling climate change.
Mr Gore, in New Zealand on a half-day visit, arrived at the Auckland University business school this morning to deliver a lecture entitled Earth In The Balance Sheet.
The invitation-only audience was restricted to 250 consisting mainly of politicians and finance managers.
"I think that every country has to do more and I think there's an encouraging set of signs that many people are beginning to do a lot more," Mr Gore said.
"And I'm particularly impressed with the tremendous leadership that New Zealand is providing."
Mr Gore arrived outside the business school and into a small crowd eager to catch a glimpse of him.
Members of the public shouted out "welcome to New Zealand" and "wonderful film, Mr Gore, great film", referring to his recently released documentary on climate change: An Inconvenient Truth.
He thanked the crowd, and said he was here to show his slide show and talk about climate crisis.
Mr Gore chuckled when a journalist, trailing behind him, asked which Rugby World Cup stadium he would prefer.
He said he had no comment on the matter.
The lecture was closed to media. He was due to leave for Australia later today.
- NZPA
