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U.S. President Biden Addresses COP26 Climate Summit; CNN Speaks to Scotland's First Minister About Climate Crisis; High-Stakes Climate Conference Begins in Scotland; Macron Pushes for Countries to Stick to Funding Commitments; Grim Reality: Climate Refugees Flee Rising Tides in Africa. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired November 01, 2021 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF UNITIED STATES OF AMERICA: - by 2030. We're making more affordable for consumers to save on their own energy bills with tax
credits and things like installing solar panels weatherizing their homes.
Lowering energy prices will also deliver cleaner air and water for our children electrifying fleets of school buses, increasing credits for
electric vehicles, and addressing legacy pollution. It will incentivize clean energy manufacturing, building the solar panels and wind turbines
that are growing energy markets of the future, which create good paying union jobs for American workers and something that none of us should lose
sight of.
When I talk to the American people about climate change, I tell them it's about jobs. It's about workers who will lay thousands of miles of
transmission lines of clean, modern resilient power grid auto workers who build the next generation of electric vehicles and electricians who will
install a nationwide network of 500,000 vehicle stations to power them throughout my country.
The engineers will design new carbon capture systems and the construction workers who will make them a reality. The farmers will not only help fight
global hunger, but also use the soil to fight climate change, the communities that revitalize themselves around new industries and
opportunities.
And because we are taking all these actions the United States will be able to meet ambitious target I set in the Leaders' Summit and climate back in
April reducing US emissions by 50 to 52 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. We'll demonstrate to the world the United States is not only back at the
table, but hopefully leading by the power of our example.
I know it hasn't been the case and that's why my administration is working overtime to show that our climate commitment is action, not words. On my
very first day in office, I took action to return the United States to the Paris Agreement.
Since then, our administration has been hard at work on locking clean energy breakthroughs, to drive down the cost of technologies that will
require us to do to achieve net zero emissions and working with the private sector and the next generation of technologies that will power clean
economy of the future.
Over the next several days, the United States will be announced a new initiative to demonstrate our commitment to providing innovative solutions
across multiple sectors, from agriculture to oil and gas to combating deforestation, to tackling hard and to abate industries.
We're planning for both short term sprint to 2030 that will keep 1.5 degrees Celsius in reach and for a marathon that will take us - take us to
the finish line and transform the largest economy in the world into a thriving innovative, equitable and just clean energy engine of net zero for
a net-zero world.
That's why today I'm releasing the U.S. long term strategy, which presents a vision of achieving the United States goal of net zero emissions economy
wide by no later than 2050 and reinforces an absolutely critical nature of taking bold action with the decisive decade.
We're also going to try to do our part when it comes to helping the rest of the world take action as well. We want to do more to help countries around
the world, especially developing countries accelerate their clean energy transition, address pollution and ensure the world we all must share a
cleaner, safer, healthiest planet we have an obligation to help.
The United Nations - at the United States in September, I announced my administration is working with the Congress to quadruple our climate
finance support for developing countries by 2024, including significant increases in support for adaptation efforts.
This commitment is made possible to each of our collective goals and mobilizing $100 billion annually for climate finance. But mobilizing
finance to the scale necessary to meet the incredible need is an all hands on deck effort.
As other speakers today have mentioned, governments in the private sector and multilateral development banks must also do their work to go from
millions to billions to trillions, the necessary effects of this transition.
Today I'm also submitting a new adaptation communication, laying out how we will implement the global goal of adaptation, as well as announcing our
first ever contribution to the adaptation fund. But our commitment is about more than just financing. That's a critical piece of it are also going to
support solutions across the board.
In the lead up to this gathering, the United States joined our G7 partners, the launch of Build Back Better World initiative we also reconvene the
Major Economies Forum on energy and climate to launch transformative actions and to raise ambition.
[11:05:00]
BIDEN: And together with the European Union, we're launching a global methane pledge to collectively reduce methane emissions, one of the most
potent greenhouse gases by at least 30 percent by the end of the decade, more than 70 countries have already signed up to support rapid reduction of
methane pollution. And I encourage every nation to sign on.
It's the simple, most effective strategy; we have to slow global warming in the near term. My friends, if we're to recognize that a better, more
hopeful future of every nation has to do his part, with ambitious targets to keep 1.5 degrees in reach, and specific plans to how to get there,
especially the major economies.
It's imperative that we support developing nations so they can be our partners in this effort. Right now, we're still falling short, there's no
more time to hang back or sit in the fence or argue amongst ourselves. This is the challenge of our collective lifetimes, the existential threat to
human existence as we know it, and every day we delay, the cost of inaction increases.
So let this be the moment that we answer history's call here in Glasgow. Let this be the start of a decade of transformative action that preserves
our planning and raises the quality of life for people everywhere. We can do this; we just have to make a choice to do it.
So let's get to work. And thank you, those of us who are responsible for much of the deforestation all the problems we have so far, have an
overwhelming obligations to the nations who in fact, were not there have not done it. And we have to help much more than we have thus far. God bless
you all, may God save the planet. Thank you.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Well that's Joe Biden, in Glasgow in Scotland, this is the beginning of the COP 26 meeting some
30,000 delegates meeting there, we will at some point work out what their carbon footprint is?
CNN's Max Foster is in Scotland. Nic Robertson is in Rome, where the climate took center stage over the weekend at the G20. David Culver is in
China, that country's president, of course, is staying at home. I want to get to you Nic to talk about what we've just heard from Joe Biden, and
whether, you know, his insistence that his climate commitments are actually not words is actually where you see the U.S. at this point.
But Max, you're in Scotland, it's just set the scene for us, if you will? What a world leaders been saying this morning, at the beginning of what has
been first day of this a huge meeting?
MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're all saying very similar things. It's all based isn't on that initial accord reached in Paris and
really tightening that up and showing how you can actually deliver on that 1.5 degree target.
So currently, we're heading towards 2.7 degrees, and how do we prevent that? So various countries come up with their own solutions and their own
contributions really, to bring that target down but as all of the campaigners keep talking about its words rather than action, it doesn't
seem as though there's any real firm action so far to guarantee that we can get to that 1.5 percent.
But obviously, President Biden a key player in this if he can promise certain actions, then that's a huge step, at least towards 1.5 percent. But
they've got to - they've got to come up with something firm in the next couple of days. And there's a lot of pessimism around that right now.
ANDERSON: Let's listen to what the Scottish Leader had to say to our colleague, Christiane Amanpour, ahead of the opening of this meeting. Let's
listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICOLA STURGEON, SCOTTISH FIRST MINISTER: I hope there's a bit of underplaying of expectations now in order to over-perform over the course
of the summer. I'm not convinced that is what is actually happening. I think there is a genuine gap between the rhetoric and the delivery.
On climate finance I hope that is right. But you know, the UN report published last week showed that the commitment which was meant to be
delivered in 2020, is only on track to be delivered in 2023. Can that be pulled forward? Big question, I hope the answer is yes.
But crucially, it's about increasing the scale of near term ambition to cut emissions. Emissions are still rising globally quite sharply. They've got
to reduce by about 45 percent by 2030 to keep that ambition of 1.5 alive so that's what we've got to focus on know, if that gap is not close completely
by the end of this two weeks. What happens after that?
That's a big question. Right now, countries are under an obligation to revise their nationally determined contributions every five years. That
surely has to become a year every two years if we're to maintain any sense of momentum in the early part of this decade.
[11:10:00]
STURGEON, SCOTTISH FIRST MINISTER: By the end of these two weeks, what happens after that, that's a big question? Right now countries are under an
obligation to revise their nationally determined contributions every five years.
That surely has to become every year or every two years if we're to maintain any sense of momentum in the early part of this decade.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, that's Nicola Sturgeon speaking to - and Paul. And speaking in Rome at the weekend at the end of what was Nic? Thank you, Max, the G20
Summit. I very clearly disillusioned Joe Biden.
We just heard his pitch to those gathered in Glasgow and indeed those who are watching around the world, he clearly took this as an opportunity to
sort of reassert U.S. leadership, he says that these are incessant climate commitments are actions, not words.
But is that, frankly, true at this point you know, we know he's got a very busy agenda back at home, the clean energy part of one of two huge bills
that he is trying to get pushed through at present very much watered down to ensure that the one of these bills get through.
Is it clear that these Joe Biden words are more than words that there is action? As far as the U.S. is concerned, there are mechanisms to ensure
that that action is executed on?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: You know, listening to Joe Biden yesterday, at his press conference here, he was asked how he
thought the G20 had measured up and he said, frankly, he was disappointed. And he blamed in part President Xi and President Putin for not showing up.
But there were other questions he was asked. And I think it was very telling, you know, in the first minute of his speech there, he said three
times he use the word decade, decade, decade.
And that struck me because all the other leaders, we've been listening to say, this is the moment, this is the last chance saloon, we must do it
right now, Biden's message about a decade, run it on a sprint, he said to get down to 50 to 50 to 52 percent of our emissions of 2005 by 2030. That's
ambitious, a marathon to get to net zero by 2050.
That's where many global leaders would like to see the target set. It isn't that was part of his disappointment. I go back to the decade. Why? Because
when he was asked questions about what should coal miners in the United States think about his proposals on cleaner energy by their jobs?
What should parents think about how they're going to get their children to school, if suddenly they can't use the regular gas propelled, you know,
petroleum propelled school bus to get to school. President Biden said very clearly, this does not happen overnight. We will develop cleaner energy, we
will develop the technologies, we will make sure that the investment is going.
And now we will as a government lead, but don't expect essentially, you have for you, the public to have to throw away your cars immediately give
up your coal mining jobs, immediately, we're going to make it a transition.
So I think what President Biden is trying to lay out here, and this is why the decade message for him is important, because that's what needs to
evolve the change and people's thinking about it in the United States.
Remember, COP26 and the G20, a part of framing what's happening for everyone to understand not just the leaders to make decisions, but for the
rest of us to understand the pressure on their shoulders and the need for us to make changes.
This is something that's going to happen. It must happen quickly. So I think to answer your question bluntly, President Biden believes that this
is a transition, it needs to be a quick transition. It's not immediate. And I think in that in that way, he hopes to achieve.
And it was interesting that in these big spending bills he has that the - you know, the 555 billion half a trillion that was going to go towards
clean energy and helping the environment that stayed pretty much stuck at that figure that that didn't get watered down per se.
There are other areas coal mining, being one of them, didn't achieve where he wanted. And indeed the United States - just to finish your thought the
United States is actually increasing its use of coal this year for coal fired electricity generating power stations.
ANDERSON: And speaking of coal, let's get to Shanghai and to our correspondent David Culver, who is in China. What's the perspective that
knows Xi Jinping, of course, in attendance at either the G20 or the COP26 climate meeting, there have been commitments made by China.
Explain what those are and why you believe the China leader is not there? And what you believe China's delegation will do for those who are there?
What their involvement might be?
[11:15:00]
DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Becky, as you know, Beijing doesn't put out a lot of detail as to why they're not going forward with something.
But we have some suspicions. One is that it's perhaps because of the COVID outbreak that's happening here.
And President Xi is prioritizing domestic demands, particularly a major cart party conference, that's going to be happening in just a few weeks
where if he were to leave the country, he'd have to do what everyone else does.
And that is a minimum of 21 days quarantine to come back in; hence, he wouldn't be able to attend. Another reason could be that he knows many of
the other countries that he'd be walking into that room with, have a lot of issues with China.
And so it would be a very tense situation and perhaps better to avoid that face to face and deal with those world leaders one on one, which he has
been doing with various phone calls, to, for example, this past week, President Macron to Boris Johnson of the UK, and earlier in September,
President Biden.
But one thing that does stand out here from China is they look at perhaps not being able to participate in spoken word like you heard from President
Biden, but they're putting forth a written statement.
That's how President Xi is handling COP26. And experts have looked at how China has approached this. And they say they tend to under promise, which
is disappointing for folks who are looking at this, certainly at that 2050 deadline for carbon neutral, because China won't meet that.
And they're not saying they're trying to meet that they're looking a decade later at 2016. They also say that China has a lot more to move forward
with. I mean, they have to, for example, pull back their reliance on coal as you mentioned. This is a country that is powered more than 60 percent by
coal. So it's going to be a huge ship to turn especially when you look at the mammoth size of this population, 1.4 billion people.
And as they point out here, they are the factory of the world they're producing for much of the world. Go back just a few weeks Becky; they tried
to rein in some of the emissions here. It was a disaster.
You had power outages that were causing folks to be trapped in elevators, traffic lights to go out you had people panicking as winters cold was
moving in. So what did they do? They say, alright, step up coal production. Once again, let's max it out domestically.
And part of that Becky is also very strategic, because they're looking at the national security aspect of this, right; they want to secure that
energy source. That said, they are putting forth more targets for some renewables, for example, they want to move to be at least 25 percent off of
fossil fuels.
So their energy mix to be at least 25 percent of other items, mainly renewables, wind and solar by 2030. They want that number then bumped up to
80 percent by 2060. And they are moving ahead with wind and solar.
I mean, this is a country that as far as investment, manufacturing, employment out does the rest of the world in wind and solar power. The
question is, though, is it going to be enough, Becky, and they're certainly trying to put it forward as though they're taking those steps.
And they like to look at the U.S. and other countries as being a bit hypocritical. They say, the Western world that's already well developed has
been doing this for 150 years polluting the world, China and other developing countries have only been doing it the past 30 years.
So they say give us time to get up to that place and to try to make changes that are going to be substantive for the rest of the world here, Becky?
ANDERSON: Yes, we've been talking how; you know how the climate crisis is perceived through the prism of the public sector through the prism of the
U.S. leader, Xi Jinping. I just wanted a Chinese dude, I just want to bring in Robin Mills, who's here with me in the in the UAE.
You've got a great perspective of what the energy sector is doing at any one time, formerly of the oil and gas industry; we got a really wide
ranging perspective. And it's important that we bring you in at this point, to discuss the energy sector as a key contributor to the climate crisis.
It's also at the heart of potential solutions. Just explain how, if you will, how the private sector the private energy sector may help at this
point. And despite the fact that its leaders are not invited or - may I say welcome at this meeting in Glasgow, what's going on behind the scenes to
ensure that they are fit for purpose going forward?
ROBIN MILLS, CEO, QAMAR ENERGY: Well, look, I think it's a pity that the oil and gas companies are not there, because, you know, I guess, they
historically have been a big part of the problem.
And they also I think, if particularly throughout the European companies and even increasingly the Middle East companies, they realize they have to
be part of the solution as well. Right, so often gas will continue to be used for a long period or even declining amounts. So you know, Joe Biden
was acknowledging that just now, so we have to use it cleanly.
That means carbon capture and storage i.e. and when we burn fuels, we don't let Carbon dioxide goes into the atmosphere but we trap it and put it back
underground. That is something that the oil and gas industry is very good at and needs to expand.
[11:20:00]
MILLS: And then the productions of clean fuels like hydrogen, another thing that fits the existing engine industry very well. This transition is just
so fast and so enormous and so wide ranging, it's very, very difficult for any one sector to do it alone.
The oil and gas industry has a lot of experience has a lot of capital, a lot of excellent people, if that can be turned into a progressive force,
that's a real big part of the solution.
ANDERSON: Is it committed?
MILLS: Maybe somewhat reluctantly, right. But I think people just see the reality of this and the reality the way the world is going. And they see
you know, companies and other industries that could not adapt to a changing world have faded and died away.
And particularly if you look at the European companies, they're all committed say yes, we will be net zero carbon by a certain date.
ANDERSON: Well, I stop you there. This is the French President speaking. Let's listen to him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT: At the opening, have said extremely strong things and there was a lot of emotional because we want to say how
urgent things are. And we are aware of what you were experiencing.
And if are expected to act collectability, they wait for me today collectively used to say what we said six years ago, we need to - at the
beginning - there was not agreement. There are three values, ambition, solidarity and trust that are pursued for Paris --.
During the last six years since Paris has some forgotten these values, some want have wanted to drop out on doubt. But we've helped fast. When we look
at the last few years, we've just gone by, we have been able to keep all of the international community united so that we can continue to fight and it
faces the problem.
Now our challenge as to whether to see if this college - challenge is successful not just into its midterm results, our aim is 1.5 degrees by the
end of this century. It was reaffirmed yesterday that G20, Rome.
We know that today we're not there yet, because the September report U.N. report says that the current trend would leave us to 2.7 degrees. The
efforts made in the run up to COP over the last few weeks are starting to reduce that gap between those two figures.
The key of our collective action is that in the next few days before the closure of this COP, we need to have enough commitment to be able to go
back to this 1.5 temperature rise was - going back to natural strategies with --.
We need to speed up structures between now and 2030. First ambition - the strategy is recover his ambition. This is what carries out the strategies
and the figures speak volumes about this.
We all need to have strategies that match the 1.5 increase maximum. That is our important national strategies. In this respect, France, but more
broadly, the European Union as well as the United Kingdom are today, ready to meet their commitments.
Our challenge is to now to implement alchemists and I do not underestimate the importance or the difficulty there. Rob. We today have a challenge
before us, namely the implementation of the Green Deal at European level of our national strategies, but the figures we have committed ourselves two of
those which will enable us to give credibility to this target in 1.5.
So energy transition, economic model transition, this transition was fair, just and supported by social decision because transitions make it possible
also for us to be able to create new opportunities, new jobs through in particular deep innovations, the building of new sectors of your industry -
industries and new opportunities.
That is what we are doing that is what we're focusing our efforts on. We're implementing all of this nationally and at European level, but it isn't the
key of the next two weeks at COP is this the most.
The largest emitters whose natural strategies do not match our strategy of 1.5 increases those countries responsible for most emissions must scale up
in the next few weeks; their ambitions would be the way for us to give credibility back to our strategy.
And for us to have strategies between now and 2030, which will make it possible for this 1.5 target to be credible number two, solidarity during
the pandemic we've all experienced this solidarity.
People just referred to it. Now we cannot meet these international challenges unless we are coordinated unless we act together. The context
we're in is the context in which climate change to certainly is to a certain extent is injustice squared, it's the most poor countries in Africa
and the Caribbean and the Pacific, who are the first victims of climate change.
[11:25:00]
MACRON: They are those who are very often, the ones who are not who did not implement the model is the subject of the climate change. Since and they
just people suffer the effects of climate change.
And the second key target of this COP is 100 billion per year, dedicated to climate change. Farms and European and now, I've met to the commitment that
even gone exceeded them. Europe is going to spend 25 billion per year.
We've raised, France spent over 7 billion per year over a third of what you owe a third dedicated to adaptation. All developed economists are now
contributing their fair share, because the leadership demands us to give an example.
For leaders we need to be a good example, we need all means to ensure that the richest countries speed up this financing, because we've committed
ourselves to put on the table this $100 billion per year between 2020 and 2025.
Before we put even more on the table subsequently, I would like to appeal to those countries who are not contributing what they should today to meet
their responsibilities between now and the end of COP; so that they can we can fulfill this obligation that we undertook in Paris.
And if we have to find measures, that will correct our course, with the IMF, we can mobilize in addition to the G20 in addition to the G20. In
addition to Special Drawing Rights, which can be used by the poorest countries or the countries of middle income?
This is a crucial matter; this solidarity must happen because it makes action possible, where ever solutions to reduce emissions exist. A
wonderful example was given over the last few weeks, with the support we collectively found to help South Africa to reduce its carbon dependence.
This is this model of cooperation we need to build a strategy on this agreement shows us that we can meet the challenges of fair, equitable and
ambitious transition. The third value I was referring to earlier on, ladies and gentlemen, is trust and transparency.
Our youth were invited to join our debates; they want to see us commit ourselves they want us to follow up. They want things to be measurable. So
beyond these commitments, we must follow with rigor and transparency, the common framework, the - we do, we need to monitor what we do.
I'm delighted that we expect the OECD is launching its COP26 international program for climate action IPAC. We began last December thanks to this; we
will be able to follow country by country what everyone is doing and what remains to be done.
I very much hope that we'll be able to go further all together, OECD must follow up and every year draft a report on full transparency of the use of
the 100 billion dollars and how they have been appropriated today.
We're almost certain that the countries of Africa, the Pacific, Latin American and the Caribbean who need them the most are not those countries
that are receiving the most we know that we know that is the case.
So beyond our announcements, we need to be transparent as to the follow up the monitoring of how these $100 billion will be spent. Ladies and
gentlemen, I wanted to speak to you about these three values so that this COP could be a success.
If we mobilize and decide an act, it won't be a success. Just one thing to conclude beyond all of these announcements, all of this willing to make
progress if we are consistent if we manage to link this agenda against climate change and to other agendas, namely biodiversity, and trade
biodiversity, first of all, because we know today that these agendas are linked.
Biodiversity is our better best ally to combat climate change, global warming, and that will help us to find natural carbon sinks and solutions
and thanks to that it will be able to give especially to Africa, its full royal in this battle that tropical forests must be protected.
That is consistent that is a crucial element. And several of my colleagues from Africa who will speak after me are promoters - promoters there. The
Great Green Wall defended by the Moller team present is a key element.
Thanks to which we'll be able to combat not only desertification, but also proposed solutions that are economic trade solutions and mobilizations for
the oceans. It must happen also this agenda goes hand and hand is intricately linked with the agenda to combat climate change.
[11:30:00]
MACRON: Finally, we must be consistent with our trade frameworks, our framing trade environment and our environment and climate frameworks, too
many of us here, commit ourselves, and then signed contradictory trade agreements.
We cannot continue to have a planet that we are causing it to function according to rules, but do not embody at their heart, these constraints,
our trade agreements must reflect our climate commitments. The organization of value chains must reflect our climate requirements demands and that is
why I appeal to people today for us to develop in Africa and in the Caribbean and in South America.
And in all of these vulnerable regions in all these regions, solutions and industrial pathways - in industries to meet challenges rather than
continues to provide solutions that come from the end of the day or the end of the world and which are built upon our current financial models.
Our solidarity through these 100 billion dollars must make it possible for people to do develop these industries, which are regional economic
opportunities. These are a few words I wanted to share with you.
These it is what we do, which is what we produces what we monitor transparency that will give full confidence trust back to our youth, but
which will also allow us to act properly and achieve the results we need for ourselves and for future generations. These are the few elements of my
own convictions I wanted to share with you share with you this afternoon. Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Is - you've been listening to the French President Emmanuel Macron. And following Joe Biden today, both speaking at the full day one,
of course, of the COP26 meeting, I'm here in Expo 2020 in Dubai, where last month the whole week was devoted to climate.
Now all eyes from around the world are on the issue. As a high stakes climate conference begins in Glasgow in Scotland. Earlier this hour as I
said, we have from the U.S. President Joe Biden, calling this a decisive decade merging the leaders to seize the opportunity to make change, have a
listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: It's imperative that we support developing nations, so they can be our partners in this effort. Right now we're still falling short. There's
no more time to hang back or sit in the fence or argue amongst ourselves.
This is a challenge of our collective lifetimes, the existential threat to human existence as we know it, and every day we delay, the cost of inaction
increases. So let this be the moment that we answer history's call.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Just moments ago, French President Emmanuel Macron, stressing the opportunity that could come from the green energy sector and he was talking
jobs. And earlier British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that time to act is running out, have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Humanity has long since run down the clock on climate change. It's one minute to midnight on that doomsday
clock, and we need to act now. If we don't get serious about climate change today, it will be too late for our children to do so tomorrow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, this comes as a new report says past seven years have been the warmest on record. The World Meteorological Organization warns that
greenhouse gases are pushing the world into "Uncharted territory".
Well COP26 laying out its key goals. They include containing global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre industrial levels, holding wealthy nations
their promise of providing $100 billion a year to help poorer countries fight the climate crisis and taking steps to secure global net zero
emissions by mid-century.
You're with "Connect the World" I'm Becky Anderson. Now we will be back with more on this after a short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:35:00]
ANDERSON: Well, while this COP26 climate meeting in Scotland is focused on the future of the climate, and indeed, climate change going forward in some
parts of the world, we are seeing the effects play out in real time.
And that is especially true for the former Senegalese capital once celebrated as the Venice of Africa. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen is there. He is
in Saint Louis, in Senegal, and he joins me live. And just explain why it is that you are there and what it is that people are telling you, Fred?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there Becky, well, we're here because the effects of climate change are something you
can really see here in Saint Louis, all those grim projections that you hear at conferences like COP26, all of that is grim reality here on the
ground in Western Africa.
You can see behind me, a lot of the buildings are destroyed that some storm surges because of rising sea levels, of course, induced by global warming,
and it really is something that is devastating the communities that live here, let's have a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN (voice over): The fishermen's lives have always been tough here in Saint Louis in northern Senegal, fighting for survival on the harsh
Atlantic Ocean. Now because of climate change, the sea that has always provided for their livelihood is destroying their existence.
Chef Czar and his family live in what's left of their house have destroyed by a storm surge, knowing full well the rest of the building could be
washed away anytime. We don't have anywhere to go, he says, if we had the means we would move where we are living is not safe. We are powerless.
Because of its geography Saint Louis is known as the Venice of Africa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site once the capital of Senegal now facing attrition
due to the global climate emergency as erosion takes its toll on the historic buildings and the people dwelling in them.
PLEITGEN (on camera): Fishing is a profession that spans generations here in Saint Louis, but thousands of fishermen and their families have already
been displaced by global warming as rising sea levels have destroyed many houses here on the coastline.
PLEITGEN (voice over): There is nothing left of where fishermen - to raise house once stood. He says many who lost their homes had become climate
refugees. There are a lot of young people who have already fled to Spain because they are homeless. He says they have lost their jobs, many of them
are going.
Others have had to move to these tent camp miles away from the ocean, living in poverty with little hope for improvement. Rising sea levels are a
threat to coastal areas around the world already causing an increase in severe flash flooding and storm surges like in the New York and New Jersey
area after Hurricane Ida in September.
The world needs to act fast or risk having to completely abandon some coastal regions in the future, especially in the U.S. says climate
scientist, Anders Levermann.
ANDERS LEVERMANN, POTSDAM INSTITUTE FOR CLIMATE IMPACT RESEARCH: The entire East Coast of the U.S. because of changes in the ocean currents, sea level
is rising twice as fast as the East Coast of the U.S. then globally.
[11:40:00]
PLEITGEN (voice over): What is it dangerous projection for the world is already grim reality here in Senegal, where the ocean that has defined the
lives in this community for so long, is now drifting them into an uncertain future.
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PLEITGEN: And as we just saw there in our report Becky, they are trying to build a seawall here to try and hold up some of the erosion of course, some
of that flash flooding, as well.
However, there are very few people believe who believe that that's going to be a long term solution and certainly many who fear that in the future in
the not too distant future, it could be impossible for people to live here in the city, Becky.
ANDERSON: Fred Pleitgen on the story for you, thank you Fred. Covering caring the climate crisis has been a priority at this network for a long
time from the biggest rain forest, the hottest deserts to the deepest ocean, CNN correspondents including Fred. I've got all over the world to
show you how climate change is impacting all of us here are some of their reporting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Sargasso Sea in the North Atlantic is one of the world's five ocean garbage patches. From the surface it can look
deceptively pristine, but dive into the bloom.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In one little chink, look at all that.
PLEITGEN (voice over): This year is on pace to set a record for ice melt here in the Arctic. And the NASA scientists are finding out that it's not
just hotter air, but also warmer ocean water that's causing a lot of the attrition, it's making these glaciers lose so much ice.
PLEITGEN (on camera): It's kind of disgusting, really how thick. The smoke is just heard. You can smell it in the air really thick, really quite
irritating.
PLEITGEN (voice over): Took a journey on a plane to be actually able to see exactly where fires were raging the hardest. And when you do hit them, it's
often incredibly hard to actually see the fires themselves that planet cooking climate changing pollution, better known as natural gas.
You can't see it or smell it unless you have infrared eyes and a laser spectroscope nose is just another reminder that the true test of a man is
what he does when he thinks no one is watching.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: We will bring you extensive coverage throughout the COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in Scotland, first full day to day runs until
Thursday November the 12th.
And we will be keeping an eye on what is going on and you will get the most important issues discuss here on "Connect the World" every day. You can
also find the latest on the CNN app or if you are on your laptop just head to cnn.com. Thank you for watching us today and for joining us. World Sport
today is up next.
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