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CNN International: World Meteorological Organization: Last Eight Years set to be Warmest on Record; Poor Countries Argue they are Entitled to Loss and Damage Claims; Kyiv Mayor Warns City to Prepare for Worst-Case Scenario; COP27: World Off Track on Goal to Halt Global Warming; Duran Duran's Original Guitarist has Stage Four Cancer. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired November 07, 2022 - 08:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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MAX FOSTER, CNNI HOST: Hello, and welcome to a special edition of CNN "Newsroom", I'm Max foster in London. Just ahead, we're in the fight of our lives and we're losing that stark warning as a crucial climate summit gets underway. My colleague Becky Anderson has extensive coverage from Sharm el-Sheikh this hour.

Plus, residents of Ukraine's capital, a warning they could face a winter without heat or power. We're live in Kyiv and final push Former Presidents and political heavyweights crisscross the United States ahead of Tuesday's midterm elections. Will begin this hour then in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt, where nearly 200 nations are represented at this year's U.N. Global Climate Summit.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNNI HOST: Well, it's sunny here on day one of COP27 Max, thank you. But leaders face a very dark and unfavorable outlook on climate. Experts say the world is nowhere near its goal of limiting global warming and staving off climate catastrophe.

This is new data shows that the last eight years are set to be the warmest ever on record. Well early eight U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres broke down just how dismal the situation is? Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONIO GUTERRES, U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL: And the clock is ticking. We are in the fight of our lives and we are losing greenhouse gas emissions keep growing. Global temperatures keep rising.

And our planet is fast approaching tipping points that will make climate chaos irreversible. We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot still on the accelerator.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, CNNs David McKenzie is here in Egypt, covering the summit and David an ominous warning from the U.S. Chief. As this summit kicks off against the backdrop of a war in Europe, which frankly has made talk of energy security more fashionable than that of energy diversification. What can we expect from this meeting here in Sharm el-Sheikh?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the time has run out frankly, Becky. Already an action is needed yesterday to try and limit emissions to try to get anywhere close to the Paris Agreement 1.5 centigrade average warming which already, where we are standing right now across the globe, especially on the African continent.

The climate catastrophe is already here with flooding, droughts and just terrible situations, particularly for the impoverished of the world to deal with rising temperatures. I'm here with Wanjira Mathai of the World Resources Institute. Great to see you again! They say this is a cup of action. Do you see that actually happening?

WANJIRA MATHAI, WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE: Well, it has to be and like you said in your intro with what we are already seeing. We really have to do something. We are in a 1.2-degree world right now, imagine worse.

MCKENZIE: And the Vice President, Former Vice President of the U.S. put it very plainly saying that rich countries are countries that depend on fossil fuels need to change drastically. Is change happening fast enough?

MATHAI: Absolutely not, because as you can see, we are still investing a lot more in fossil fuel exploration. We are still investing a lot more digging in on fossil fuels. And especially the richest economies of the world, they do not have room for more fossil fuel investments.

They actually have a decarbonization agenda that has to be real. And it has to be fast.

MCKENZIE: I used to be based in Kenya; you look at your hometown and north of there, the devastating drought in Northern Kenya, the Horn of Africa, and parts of Ethiopia. This is because of climate change, that it's so bad. And what needs to be done about this right now in terms of helping these countries deal with these consequences.

MATHAI: We have to build adaptive capacity. There is no way that communities can withstand these sorts of extremes. We are seeing extremes in droughts in the way we are seeing in the horn and look at the floods.

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MATHAI: I mean we're seeing floods every single flood is like the worst in 500 years the worst in 100 years, it is the time climate change is here. We have to invest in adaptation, adaptation strategies that will help prevent and limit the sort of impacts we're seeing. We're not doing well there, because in the in Glasgow, there was a commitment to double adaptation finance.

We haven't seen any roadmaps, any indication of how that doubling will be met. And that's problematic because without those resources, communities just cannot adapt. We are moving into losses and damages people getting to places that are beyond our ability to adapt.

MCKENZIE: And loss and damage to explain to the audiences, because we haven't met those emissions targets. It's already too late, places cannot adapt fast enough to deal with things like these droughts of centuries and floods of a millennia. This is now officially on the table for discussions.

That was a controversial topic. Do you see rich countries paying up?

MATHAI: Well, I think they have to, because here's the other thing that's important to realize. It's not only affecting the vulnerable, poor economies. We saw the worst heat waves in Europe, for example, this last summer.

We have to find solidarity in this agenda, because it's affecting all of us. So yes, I see, first of all, great that we see this agenda item made, even after a lot of push and pull into the agenda, we must discuss it. And we must come up with financing modalities.

MCKENZIE: Very quickly, I interviewed your mother the great Wangari Maathai, five years ago. She was hopeful at that time when I spoke to her. Are you hopeful or not?

MATHAI: Well, of course, I'm hopeful look what has happened on forests, for example, the protection of forests today, her dream for that coming through, we have to be hopeful.

MCKENZIE: Thank you so much Wanjira Mathai. Just one of the many experts and advocates here pushing Leaders to do more, that highway to hell that the Secretary General spoke about we're all on it back here and it's a time for an off ramp.

ANDERSON: David, thank you. Well, David McKenzie is here, covering this summit for you. And you'll get more from him in the hours to come world leaders, business and finance, top brass, all gathered here to do more than just talk we hope. If Glasgow was about ambition, Max, this meeting is set to be about implementation.

But how the damage done to the climate by the world's richest countries can be reversed as it were or at least the damage and loss financed is a really big toolkit here? Nowhere was that more evident than this year with these floods we saw earlier in the year and in Pakistan. So we're going to have a lot more ahead from Sharm el- Sheikh.

In just a few minutes, European Commission, President Ursula von der Leyen will join me for show. Let's get you back to Max, who is in London with a look at the rest of the day's top stories, Max.

FOSTER: Look forward to Becky, thank you. Now the Mayor of Kyiv is warning residents to prepare for a worst case scenario, saying Russia attacks could potentially leave the Capital without water or heat this winter. It comes as Ukraine braces for more blackouts nationwide in an attempt to reduce the strain on its energy infrastructure. President Zelenskyy says 4.5 million customers are currently without power. And he warns that Russia intends to use Iranian missiles for further attacks on the country's power grid. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz joins me now live from Kyiv. Hi, Salma!

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello Max, officials here really bracing for the worst or putting together emergency plans in case of a complete failure of Kyiv's energy infrastructure as well as other areas. What they're doing is they're setting up these emergency centers, these would be big areas, one in each district or a few in each district, rather, that would be run by generators that have families didn't have any electricity. They could potentially go to these centers and be able to get warm, have clean bathrooms, and have emergency services there as well.

Let me just explain to you the situation as it is, right now. There are our long scheduled blackouts that take place every day. They're about three to four hours long. They generally happen a couple of times a day.

That means oftentimes families can go up to half the day Max, without any electricity, without being able to heat their homes or make a warm meal or turn on the light in their living room. And it's absolutely a struggle for everyone here. I mean, generators are essentially sold out or too expensive to purchase.

So people are relying again on just torches their iPhone lamps whatever they can get. The Mayor of Kyiv saying be prepared for worse, because it's only a matter of time until another Russian missile lands.

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ABDELAZIZ: And the system is now so precarious, so weak that will cause great devastation, great suffering. And we also have heard that he's even offered for families to go. He said listen if you have families outside of Kyiv, maybe you go and you stay with them.

So yes, everybody here really preparing for the worst. But I want to emphasize, Max. Yes, we're seeing this increased attack on the civilian infrastructure. But many people here say it's only making us stronger. We see this as part of our fight against Russia, Max.

FOSTER: OK Salma, thank you, desperate situation again, where you are. Now in less than 24 hours, the polls will open in the U.S. midterm elections. The outcome will likely rewrite the makeup of the U.S. Congress.

Every seat in the house is up for grabs, as of 35 of the 100 Senate seats. That's why the big names are on the campaign trail, President Biden, his wife, Jill and Vice President Kamala Harris, are making that final push for votes, as is Former President Donald Trump. Over the weekend, four of the six living presidents' campaign, Mr. Biden spoke about the responsibility of voters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: If you all show up and vote, democracy sustain, not a joke. This is not hyperbole to the second time, not a joke. It matters it's in your hands and look, here, one of the reasons why as I said, I've never been more optimistic about the future of this country.

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FOSTER: And MJ Lee joins me now from the White House President Biden really taking aim in these last couple of days at these election deniers as he sees them on the other side?

MJ LEE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's absolutely right. That has been one of the central themes for this President, as he has really been busy hitting the campaign trail these last couple of weeks. And, you know, when you look at some of the Democratic candidates that the President has campaigned for in these final days, you really do see that these are Democratic candidates that are running against Republican candidates who are election deniers or skeptics.

But one thing that I would say on that is that yes, as much as the President has felt that it is important to focus on that issue. We also know because a poll after poll has shown us that the issue that voters overwhelmingly care about here in the U.S. is the election, excuse me, and is the economy and inflation. So there is a question about that political strategy.

And some Democrats sort of raising the question of whether it's a mistake to basically focus on anything other than the economy at this late stage, close to the midterms now what we're going to see on this final day before Election Day, tomorrow is the President heading to Maryland. This is sort of where he kicked off his midterms campaigning earlier this summer.

So it is sort of a bookending of sorts, that we're seeing the cycle. And it is also a state where Democrats feel like they can sort of end things on a bright note. You know, this is a state where Wes Moore is the Democratic candidate for governor.

Democrats are feeling very good that he's going to win this race. So it is one way in which they sort of hope to end things on a bright note, because they hope that the governor's match and there will go from red to blue. Obviously a question about how many bright spots there is even going to be for Democrats come tomorrow night.

FOSTER: OK, MJ Lee at the White House, thank you. Join us on Tuesday for in depth special coverage of the crucial U.S. midterm elections. That'll be while they'll determine the controller Congress. That'd be starting at 4 pm Eastern time.

Still to come, the global climate clock is ticking and experts say there's not a second to waste. Ahead, we'll go back to the COP27 conference in Egypt, where my colleague Becky will speak to the European Commission's Ursula von der Leyen live.

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ANDERSON: We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot still on the accelerator. Those the words on the start warning from the U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres to world Leaders gathered at the COP27 conference here in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt. Over the next two weeks, countries will lay out their plans to try and slam the brakes on global warming.

One of the biggest sticking points how wealthy nations will help vulnerable countries with the least resources and the least blame make the transition from fossil fuels? While my next guest is President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen joins me now live. It's good to have you thank you very much indeed for joining us.

This time last year in Glasgow, nearly 200 countries promised to improve their emissions cutting targets in time for this meeting, 24 of 200 have come good. And so let's applaud Australia, Indonesia, and the likes of the UAE. But 24 out of 190 improving their targets, puts warming at 2.5 percent blowing through the 1.5 percent target that our viewers around the world. And you and I have been so mindful of the U.N. has described this as woefully insufficient. Do you agree?

URSULA VON DER LEYEN, EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT: Absolutely, it is insufficient. So we have to accelerate. And this COP27 now is about implementation, via my very clear messages from the European Union, we are on track.

We have cast in law, our climate targets, not just put targets out but cast them in law minus 55 percent to 2030 and Climate Neutral 2050. And now we have to accelerate. We've put forward, I think the most ambitious legislative package now worldwide to achieve these goals.

ANDERSON: Given the war in Ukraine, the consequent energy crisis in Europe and the fall back on fossil fuels, at least in the short term. Certainly the EU hasn't increased its pledge for 55 percent cut emissions by 2030. Is an increase given what Europe is going through specifically, in order to help the fight is an increase out of the question?

LEYEN: So here is important. This is really a decisive moment. You're absolutely right, what you described, we are completely getting rid of our fossil fuel dependency from Russia. And now it's a crucial moment not to be locked in, in other fossil fuels from other suppliers.

But to leapfrog forward and accelerating the renewables and therefore, for this year, that's the International Energy Agency that estimates it. Europe will be able to double its additional renewable energy deployment.

And next year, if we accelerate, and if we scale up as we are planning, then we're able to quadruple this additional renewable energy its 100 Giga Watt about I'm speaking of. So it's indeed a decisive moment to show action in the right direction and not to be locked in. ANDERSON: Earlier Boris Johnson said here, and I quote him he was speaking here today. I'm worried about the discussion about Ukraine, having all sorts of bad effects, making people anxious about Net Zero. I hear what you're saying about the opportunity for a real sort of historic pivot at this stage away from fossil fuels. But for example, I mean, you've been questioned today by activists about Europe's appetite for more gas.

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ANDERSON: Now, Europe describes gas as a bridge fuel. But it's a gas emitting fuel at the end of the day. So again I put it to you how concerned should we be that as this war continues, as Europe's energy crisis continues that it'll be energy security and a dependence on fossil fuels that sort of takes over the discussion from energy diversification.

LEYEN: Yes, so that's very important. Just to look at what happened the last eight months, Russia cut 80 percent of its gas supply to Europe. And Russia was the biggest supplier worldwide. And its biggest client was Europe.

These days are completely over 80 percent pattern. And we've compensated not only by gas, but also by massive saving, minus 15 percent. And by massive investment, we call it repower issue, a 300 billion-euro program that we set up towards the renewables.

And here comes the point now for the Global South. This whole energy demand from Russia that is we are winding down. If we do it right, we'll shift it to the global south wind view of renewables and here mainly hydrogen.

I'm signing for example, three hydrogen I may use on this COP27, with Egypt with Namibia and with Kazakhstan. And if we do it right, we immediately do this jump forward to infrastructure. That is hydrogen ready, that?

ANDERSON: I understand that, and that is good news. But that is long term at this point, short term in 2015, the world signed up to $100 billion a year fund for the poorer countries, because there was an understanding that they needed financing on adaptation and mitigation too questions. The world hasn't ponied up that money. The U.S. is way behind. That's wrong, isn't it?

LEYEN: It is wrong we have to do more. Europe is doing its fair share $23 billion euros. We've said we're going to pledge that last year, we did it.

And we're going to give more than 23 billion euros this year, too. But you're right. I mean, there's still a gap. And this gap has to be filled.

ANDERSON: Loss and damage is the phrase that viewers will hear a lot about here. Compensating poorer countries for the loss and damage caused by climate change Pakistan is the poster child in the most awful way for that 1000 lives lost this year 40 billion, the price of damage. The EU and other developed countries are frankly, not interested in engaging in a conversation about loss and damage, why?

LEYEN: I think loss and damage the discussion about is very important. And therefore I'm happy that it's an agenda point, this time at COP27. It wasn't so far. There's a lot of work ahead of us to define what is loss and damage.

And then to look into the possible funds to compensate so that's the work that's now ahead of us. And therefore it's good that it is on the agenda. And that's a specific point, we're going to discuss.

ANDERSON: The EU of course and briefly blocked a proposal at last year's U.N. climate talks to establish a fund so agreeing instead to simply dialogue. Can you imagine this call could go some distance towards that fund for loss and damage, realistic?

LEYEN: It may be it depends on the discussion. We're the first day of the COP27, it's going to last two weeks and the negotiations will only start. But as I said, it's already a big step forward that it is an agenda point. So there has to be a deliverable on it.

ANDERSON: Optimistic about these talks?

LEYEN: Medium, very hard to say.

ANDERSON: That was a pleasure, thank you very much for joining us.

LEYEN: Thank you so much.

ANDERSON: Ursula von der Leyen and I will have a lot more throughout the day from here in Sharm el-Sheikh. Challenging times the backdrop is a war in Europe, Max Foster, will be back with more from Ukraine after this short break stay with us.

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FOSTER: United is the latest company to pause its advertising on Twitter. The airline joins a growing number of companies abandoning the platform that has led to sharp drops in revenue. Twitter is also delaying its new blue check subscription plan until after the midterm elections.

Sad news in the music world Duran Duran's original guitarist, Andy Taylor has revealed he has stage four, metastatic prostate cancer. The band read a letter from Taylor while being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Los Angeles on Saturday. Taylor had to miss the ceremony due to ongoing treatment.

In the U.S., the Powerball jackpots has just hit $1.9 billion and could reach 2 billion by two nights during there were no winners for Saturday night's $1.6 billion jackpot that was already the largest in history, incredible numbers. Thanks for joining me here on CNN "Newsroom" and Becky, I'm Max foster in London, "World Sport" with Amanda is up next.

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