Al Gore says his Nobel Peace Prize is an 'honour' and a chance to 'elevate global consciousness' about the threat posed by climate change.

The former US vice-president was awarded the prestigious prize jointly with the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The White House congratulated Mr Gore but said it would not change its policies on global warming.

Gore won an Oscar for his climate change film An Inconvenient Truth.

He said he accepted the award on behalf of scientists - like those in the IPCC - who had worked tirelessly for years to get the message about global warming out.