Obama and Gore: Team- Up for 'Climate Change'

"The time for delay is over, the time for denial is over," the president-elect told reporters after the private meeting with Gore and Vice President-elect Joe Biden.

Obama did not specifically say what role Gore would play on the issue of climate change, though he pledged to work with "a whole host of stakeholders on this issue, including Vice President Gore."

Shortly before the scheduled meeting, a spokeswoman for Gore said the former vice president, who reportedly sought the sit-down with Obama, was not seeking an official position in the new administration. But the announcement of the meeting on Monday immediately unleashed speculation about what Gore's exact role in an Obama White House might be.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Obama said the purpose of the meeting was to hear Gore's positions on a host of environmental issues and his ideas for how new environmental polices can spur job creation and jumpstart the economy.

"We have the opportunity now to create jobs all across this country, to re-power America, to redesign how we use energy, to think about how we are increasing efficiency, to make our economy stronger, make us more safe, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and make us competitive for decades to come, even as we are saving the planet," Obama said.