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Connect the World
Joint Probe: All Parties Committed Violations; Missing Australian Girl Found Alive After 18 Years; Least Developed Countries Chairman: "Disappointing" Progress so far on Loss and Damage Negotiations; Switching from Oil, Coal to Renewable Energy Sources; Millions of Fake & Used Medical Gloves in Global Supply Chain; Art Exhibition "Forever is now" Held at Pyramids of Giza. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired November 03, 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]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Hello and welcome to "Connect the World". I'm Eleni Giokos. I'm standing in for my colleague, Becky
Anderson.
Right now we're hearing from diplomatic sources on the ground in Ethiopia. They're telling us that combined Tigrayan forces are on the outskirts of
the country's Capital Addis Ababa. It's the latest development in the year- long Tigray conflict.
And we are also being told that whether or not those forces move depends in part on the position of the United States. Now this comes one day after the
Ethiopian government announced a nationwide state of emergency both sides in the conflict are coming in for heavy criticism.
The UN is slamming atrocities uncovered in a joint investigation. The report is looking closely at the toll on civilians take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE BACHELET, U.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: Recent days we have seen reports of continued shelling by the European National Defense
Forces of the Tigray Regional Capital of Mekelle and further advances by Tigrayan forces into the neighboring region of Amara.
We are receiving continued allegations of serious abuses, and violations of international human rights and international humanitarian law. There are
reports of shelling and airstrikes resulting in civilian death, summary executions, large scale displacement and a worsening humanitarian
situation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: The U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia is now saying not to travel to the country; CNN's Larry Madowo is in neighboring Kenya in the Capital of
Nairobi and joins us now live. There have been quite a few developments firstly, in terms of where to grind forces on their near the capital, from
what we understand.
And secondly, there's this investigation by the UN Larry is talking about atrocities from both sides here. How is this going to change the narrative
of how it's going to be dealt with in the next few months, a year on now, when this conflict started?
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Eleni, so the Ethiopian government has accepted the findings of this report even though they say they have some
misgivings with it. They say it's a blueprint for them in dealing with any of the reported atrocities.
But the Eritrean government has rejected it in whole and so have the Tigrayan fighters who say it lacks credibility because the Ethiopian Human
Rights Commission which is appointed by the Prime Minister of Ethiopia was on the same footing in the investigation of the UN Human Rights Council and
they just don't think that's fair or impartial.
And that's what they're rejecting it. But on the ground in Addis Ababa, today, a state of paranoia, at least by the government, so much so that it
declared a state of emergency. And that means it can detain people without a warrant.
It can shut down the media of civil society organizations, it can ask people to get take up arms and has asked able bodied people to be prepared
to defend their neighborhoods. But the big thing here, Eleni, is that this report didn't go as far as some of the critics of the Ethiopian government
and the Tigrayan fighters and the Eritreans expected it to do so.
And for that reason is because this was not a criminal investigation, listen to how one of its authors described it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANIEL BEKELE, EHRC CHIEF COMMISSIONER: The standard of proof we have adopted for such a human rights investigation is a lower threshold than is
normally required in a criminal investigation. So on the basis of the collectively gathered and collectively analyzed information and evidence we
have, the violations we have identified may amount to crimes against humanity, or war crimes and a number of other violations, but not genocide.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MADOWO: The Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed has responded saying the joint investigative team findings have clearly established the claim of
genocide as false and utterly lacking of any factual basis. The report also concluded the often repeated allegation that the government used hunger as
a weapon of war is without merit.
So he's trying to spin this in a positive direction in favor of the Ethiopian government. But that is still a question. The critics already
slamming this report for not going far enough and saying there needs to be an internationally led investigation into the atrocities that even CNN has
reported on extensively detentions Eleni we've reported on killings that bear the hallmarks of genocide and which just do not get a proper mention
in this report.
[11:05:00]
MADOWO: We're expecting the U.S. Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman is heading back to Addis Ababa tomorrow and into Friday. We
don't know who will be meeting. But what he says will be very critical.
GIOKOS: Yes. Absolutely and look, it's all about trying to get aid to people that are in need. And interesting that that report found that using
food as a weapon came through as well. But right now when we say and when we hear to grind forces being close to the capital, what do we know about
troop movements and what their intention is?
MADOWO: This conflict started out in Tigray in the north of the country. And as you know, it has since spread into the neighboring regions of Afar
and Amara. And recently, the last few days, the Tigrayan fighters have claimed have taken two major towns that are close to the capital and a
highway leading into the capital.
And they'll threaten they could march and into Addis Ababa and take it. And what our reporting says is that they are on the outskirts of the city, and
they could move into the city anytime now. But it's whether or not they do so depends on a lot of factors, including what the U.S. position is, which
is why this visit by the U.S. Special Envoy going into Ethiopia is critical.
So people in Addis telling me some of them going about their usual lives, but I know at least one family that's trying to get their family members
out of the city just to be safe.
GIOKOS: Alright, Larry, thank you very much, and for highlighting what a nationwide state of emergency also could possibly mean. We'll be catching
up with you soon. Thank you.
My next guest was the UN's Emergency Relief Manager Spokesman and UNOCHA Deputy Country Director from 2012 to 2016. In Ethiopia, he is now with
Refugees International. I'd like to bring in David Del Conte, who's joining us now via Skype. Thank you very much, sir, for joining us.
I want to touch on the UN investigation saying that both sides are to blame for atrocities against civilians. What do you make of the findings?
DAVID DEL CONTE, LEAD, REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL #STOPTIGRAYFAMINE CAMPAIGN: Well, thank you for having me. I thought it's a good starting point. Her
statement really focused on the brutality of the conflict and particularly brutality targeting innocent civilians, the bevy of human rights abuses.
And yes, it does need to reference by all parties to the conflict. Ultimately, the proper independent investigation that holds all responsible
to account is what I focused on in her statement and the report itself.
GIOKOS: So David, if we look at the situation right now, and we see that millions of people are experiencing famine, or on the brink of famine, were
you seeing hunger and the fact that food has been used as a tool?
What do you make of this and the fact that UN and other NGO other agencies have been unable and have been vocal about the fact that they cannot get
food to Tigrayans?
DEL CONTE: That's correct. Only a fraction of those who are in need in Tigray are receiving assistance. The UN and NGOs or something around 50
percent capacity from what they were just a few months ago, due to a combination of new bureaucratic procedures introduced by the government in
September, continued conflict and aerial bombardments, and the blockade, which has now been in effect for more than four months, severely limiting
what the UN and the NGOs can do to provide assistance to those in need.
The same would occur in Amhara given a population density of that regional state displacement is likely to be over a million at this point, food -
food has not really reached them either. So the expansion of conflict is expanding the need and the UN and NGOs aren't able to deliver what they
could because of the blockade and the conflict.
GIOKOS: We've also seen UN officials that have been thrown out of the country on what the government says, because of meddling. We've also seen
major concerns about what this could possibly mean down the line for getting humanitarian aid to the people that mean it needed most. What
message is the Ethiopian government sending to the UN?
DEL CONTE: It's an explicit threat to the UN and the NGOs. Those NGOs and UN officials who were kicked out of the country where doing their jobs,
speaking on humanitarian issues, speaking up about their concerns none of this is meddling and all of this is basic humanitarian work.
So the threat to the UN and the NGOs is explicit and must be addressed by the Security Council, the Secretary General.
GIOKOS: What do you think of the way the UN has been handling the situation in Ethiopia?
[11:10:00]
GIOKOS: I know that you were part of the relief team until 2016. Do you think that more could have been done?
DEL CONTE: I think for those who are operational agencies on the ground, it's a rock and a hard place. The threat of suspending your program are
being expelled from the country means that you have to balance the needs of the population in the work that you're doing with a need for speaking up
and speaking out about what's occurring in country.
So that's a challenge that they face. And one of the reasons why refugees international launch this campaign was to get the humanitarian voice out
there. As a non-operational advocacy organization, we can say those things.
But if you are a UN and NGO just trying to get the work done, it's very, very difficult decision to make, I think more can and should be done to
speak about the humanitarian crisis that is continuously unfolding. We first heard of famine related deaths on the 25th of January of this year.
GIOKOS: So David, why did you leave and give me a sense of what you experienced as well on the ground in Ethiopia?
DEL CONTE: When I was in Ethiopia, it was hallmarked by two different droughts, one in the south and one in the north of the country, a lot of
our work was done responding to consistent chronic need.
And the challenge of that is, is it it's done in a development framework. We're supporting and building the government systems and structures as it
was not an active conflict. The difference between then and ours is quite dramatic.
The way, in which humanitarians work during times of conflict is different during times of peace, we need to be independent, we need to be neutral,
and we need to be based on the core tenets of relief work.
That has posed a challenge to the NGOS, and we're working on that messaging to have it understood throughout top to bottom how we work in moments of
conflict. So it's a bit - it's quite a bit different. I left the U.N. in Ethiopia because it was my time I'd been there for more than five years.
And that's a good rotation moment.
GIOKOS: So David, looking at where we should be headed from here, you know, we know that the country is in a state of emergency and as our reporter
said, that this means you know, you can have police taking up arms you can have the army is deployed.
That means you can shut down the media. The repercussions are quite enormous. Does this worry you? What do you think this means 40 grinds and
for Ethiopian people in the next few months?
DEL CONTE: I think the current situation is very worrisome the ability for the TDF to not only defend their territory but expand the conflict into a
foreign Amhara.
The ability to take the key strategic villages of - and Cambodia and threaten Addis Ababa requires concerted international pressure to get the
TDF back into Tigray but also Abbey, the Prime Minister Abbey and his supporters in Eritrea and Amhara militia must come to the table as well.
GIOKOS: Do you support U.N. sanctions? Do you think that that is the right route to take?
DEL CONTE: I support any and all efforts that would bring this conflict to a quick and speedy end and force the parties to enter into negotiated
settlement. For the people of Tigray, who are who experiencing famine are right now for the people of Amhara who could experience that tomorrow?
This is something that is needless and unnecessary, so for the sake of the people of Ethiopia, any and all efforts to end.
GIOKOS: Thank you, David. Good to have you on the show. Much appreciated for your insights. Alright, so an update now on the precarious situation in
Sudan the prime minister who was ousted in an army coup last week says he's not open to talks until certain conditions are met.
Abdalla Hamdok is calling for the release of political detainees and that constitutional institutions be restored before he enters into any dialogue.
Hamdok is denying a report that he has agreed to lead a new government.
His office says he's still under house arrest. The coup derail the transition towards civilian rule and led Western donors to freeze aid to
Sudan. Now to some good news about a dramatic rescue in Western Australia.
Four year old is now back home safe with a family nearly three weeks after her - missing from a remote campsite. Cleo Smith was found Wednesday and
that's after police broke down the door of a locked house in the family's hometown just 50 kilometers from that campsite.
One policeman involved in the rescue says it was without a doubt the best moment of his Korea, a 36 year old man is in custody and the relation with
the disappearance Ivan Watson has more details.
[11:15:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Australian police call it the miracle they were hoping for. The pre-dawn
rescue of four year old Cleo Smith found safe and sound 18 days after she first went missing an ordeal that began at this remote camping site on
October 16. Cleo's mother says on the first morning of a family camping trip, she woke up to find her daughter gone.
ELI SMITH, MOTHER OF FOUR-YEAT-OLD CLEO SMITH: The tent was completely open, it's about 30 centimeters from being open. And I mean, I turn around
to take and just Cleo is gone.
WATSON (voice over): The child's disappearance triggered a manhunt that spread nationwide, the state government offering a million Australian
dollar reward for information echoed by desperate appeals from Cleo's family.
SMITH: Really all we need is a little go home.
WATSON (voice over): Police announced they solved the mystery early Wednesday morning.
CHRIS DAWN, WESTERN AUSTRALIA POLICE COMMISSIONER: The outcome that is - was achieved at about 1a.m. this morning. When four officers within and
broke down the door and found little Cleo in a room.
And as you can see, she's alive. She's safe. And she's back with mom and dad. Police found her alone in this house in her family's hometown of
Carnarvon some 30 miles or 48 kilometers from the camping site.
DETECTIVE SR. SGT, CAMERON BLAINE, WESTERN AUSTRALIA POLICE FORCE: You know, I just wanted to be absolutely sure that, you know, certainly look
like Cleo, I wanted to be absolutely sure with her so much and she didn't answer and I said what's your name? She knows her game. So ask the third
time and then she looked at me and she said my name is Cleo.
WATSON (voice over): Police say Cleo was physically unharmed and reunited soon after with her parents. Police have a 36 year old man who is unrelated
to Cleo's family currently in custody. They say they expect to press charges for what they describe as an opportunistic abduction soon.
The rescue which officials described as the result of a hard police grind, involving 140 police officers is now being celebrated across the country.
But most importantly, by her parents, Cleo's mother Eli announcing her family is whole again. Ivan Watson, CNN.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Alright, so you're watching "Connect the World" and still ahead show us the money. Details from the COP26 summits on a global multi
trillion dollar plan to go green and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson talks to our Christiane Amanpour about his nation's future plans for coal.
Plus promises were made but will they be kept a look at some of the lofty energy goals laid out at COP26 this week.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:20:00]
GIOKOS: It's finance day at the COP26 Climate Summit in Scotland. And the United Nations Climate envoys say the money will be there to help. Mark
Carney announcing hundreds of companies from 45 countries are committing $130 trillion to the global effort to go green.
Britain's finance minister talked about his country's role in that, as the UK aims to become the world's first net zero financial center. Take a
listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RISHI SUNAK, BRITISH CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER: I can announce that the United Kingdom will commit 100 million pounds to the task force on access
to climate finance, making it quicker and easier for developing countries to access the finance they need.
And we're supporting a new capital markets mechanism, which will issue billions of new green bonds here in the UK to fund renewable energy in
developing countries.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: On Tuesday, the summit moved forward with several major developments the biggest around 100 nations signing on to a global pledge
to cut emissions methane emissions by 30 percent of 2020 levels by 2030.
CNN Chief Climate Correspondent Bill Weir is in Glasgow. Bill, good to see you. Look, it's one thing committing trillions of dollars and it's another
thing putting that money to work, investing in the right projects, making sure it's spent wisely and then importantly, trying to quantify the impact
of that money on those projects. Give me a sense of how they're planning to work this.
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: --great points, Eleni. Yes, of the coal, cars, cash and trees. The cash piece of this conference is
obviously the stickiest there's so many different questions around these pledges.
For example, just a few minutes ago, Representative from Indonesia said, hey, we're willing to move up our zero carbon pledge by 10 years. If we get
the same deal, South Africa is getting to get off of coal that UK, EU, the U.S. trying to help that country decarbonize faster than others as well.
So there's literal horse trading going on over the river Clyde, just behind me. But yes, there's no clear way some countries may not want just a
handout or charity. Some may want real concrete, offshore wind development, so they can stop maybe pumping oil or coal in there, in their particular
countries.
We have one statement from the environmental group three fifty.org here in the UK that says it's absurd that the chancellor celebrating the world's
biggest economies will finally reach the target of providing 100 billion by 2023. It should have already happened by now. Meanwhile, there is 5.9
billion trillion dollars rather last year of oil subsidies.
GIOKOS: Alright, Bill, I'm curious about emerging economies that have very serious developmental issues that have a lot of fossil fuels as natural
resources, and now being told that they also have to cut emissions.
And you know, make sure that they are part of the climate change agenda. For many of these countries, here's the reality that they are going to have
to give up a bit of economic growth and not industrialize, because the bigger emission emitters, like the U.S. and the likes of China, have done
the damage already. How much of that has been discussed?
WEIR: That's very much at the fore of the arguments being led by developing countries. They can point at a country like the U.S. or the UK and say, you
eat you consume more and beef that with a bigger carbon footprint than most of our people have the luxury of putting into the sky in a year.
How can you tell us to stop digging our own coal or maybe drilling our own oil in a country like Nigeria, it's hypocritical. If anybody should have to
tighten their belts, it's the richest countries that have been, you know, eating at the trough for centuries at this point, and that's where this --
whatever the mechanism is going to be.
But so far, it seems to be out of other large yes, it has to out of a sense of charity and moral obligation without any real umpire in this particular
conversation. But it's a very valid point.
And you know, it took like, for example, in the United States, it took a lot of pressure to get the biggest banks to commit to not drilling for oil
in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge up at the tip of Alaska, this beautiful sort of untouched, nature preserve up there.
It took a long time, a lot of pressure, but that doesn't stop them from opening up new drilling opportunities elsewhere in the world until CEOs are
incentivized until their bonuses are tied to not drilling and not creating more wealth in developed countries and helping the others. You can't see
how the current financial system can fix this.
[11:25:00]
GIOKOS: Well, very quickly, you're our Chief Climate Correspondent, are you feeling optimistic that we can actually get a deal? And importantly, that
countries will action this and companies will try help executes?
WEIR: You know that that's such a great question. And it depends on the hour of the day to be honest, I can waffle between.
GIOKOS: Yes.
WEIR: Sort of depression over the intractability of this and hope that finally big countries are coming together, there's a new report by the
University of Melbourne says that with India's promise now, we may hit 1.9.
But it's all at this point discussion, but you can't start until everybody comes together. And at least we have that going for us right now.
GIOKOS: Absolutely, all right. Well, thank you very much for the updates. And we'll catch up with you I'm sure a lot over the next few days. Much
appreciate it. All right, so British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is the cohost of the climate summits.
My colleague, Christiane Amanpour spoke with him on the sidelines of COP26. And she pressed the prime minister on the use of coal in the UK, take a
listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN ANCHOR: I asked all the leaders who I talked to well, what are you doing to show that you're credible, and that your nation
is credible in these pledges. And it's not just rhetoric, that it's reality.
So as you know better than I do, there are coal, coal, coal fields planned for coal digging plan for - in this country. And would you say that at this
point, given everything you're saying to me now, you would intervene to stop that?
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I don't have the legal power that's something for local planning.
AMANPOUR: But local planning is what you rules on it, it's come back to the government.
JOHNSON: Already saying, and if you look at what has already happened in the UK, is we have moved away from coal at extraordinary speed. The story
of UK - don't forget what happened in our country, we had when I was a kid, we had 80 percent of our power came from coal.
And when I was mayor of London, when you first - when you interviewed me of last time, it was 40 percent, right? So between that interview, Christiane
and this one, we've gone from 40 percent to less than 1 percent in the space of two interviews.
AMANPOUR: Less than 1 percent?
JOHNSON: Less than one percent, so it's roughly it's roughly there, and it's going to go down to zero by 2022.
AMANPOUR: So why not just to get as a matter of goodwill, our -- summit that you're hosting and for everything you're saying, because I understand
it's come back to the government and the minister in charge.
JOHNSON: Yes, we are illegally scrupulous and punctilious country and as planning decision, but that's being taken behind not the planning
authority, but I --.
AMANPOUR: But it is your goal?
JOHNSON: I did one -- and our government doesn't --
AMANPOUR: And would you intervene to stop it?
JOHNSON: Will do what's legally, were legally able to do. But this is a planning decision. And if you look at the reality, the reality is we have
powered past coal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: This is a planning decision. I'm going to watch this interview the full interview on Amanpour later on in CNN with Christiane Amanpour, as
well as U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who is in Glasgow that's at 6 p.m. in the UK, 10 p.m. here in the UAE.
Right we'll have more on the changing face of energy ahead. How the promises made at this week's climate conference could impact the way you
power your home and car in the future and the latest efforts to make the beauty industry ecofriendly on display at the Dubai Expo.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:30:00]
GIOKOS: Welcome back, I'm Eleni Giokos in Dubai. We've been hearing all week about nations making pledges to cut carbon emissions, most of those
promises involve a significant investment in renewable energy sources.
The U.S., UK and EU have all agreed to help South Africa phase out of coal driven energy in one of the most coal dependent nations on Earth. India
says it is going to convert half of its power grid to renewable energy.
And Indonesia says it could get rid of all of its coal fired power plants by 2040 if it gets help from international donors. My next guest is one of
the UK leading advocates for renewable energy.
In a recent interview, he said it was important to attract and we "Companies that are not already in renewables but have potential to bring
something whether they are transitioning from oil and gas or other sectors".
Joining me now is Dan McGrail, the CEO of renewable UK, which is the trade association for the wind wave and tidal power industries in the United
Kingdom Dan, great to have you.
I have to say, you know, you've got South Africa saying it wants to transition you were hearing about India and Indonesia. And when our teams
are spar, as Johnson about getting rid of coal, he says it was a planning issue, and that he could make that decision out right.
What do you make of that, when we still have a reliance of coal in some of the most advanced economies that have access to resources, and that can
diversify very quickly into more renewable sources of energy?
DAN MCGRAIL, CEO, RENEWABLE UK: Well, first of all, hi, Eleni and thank you for having me on the show. I think, first of all, the UK success story in
offshore wind is one many, in many respects, of, of putting that plan into action.
And making the market and designing energy market which helps transition away from those fuels like coal, about as little as about six or seven
years ago, the UK was about 40 percent powered by coal.
But by really driving down the cost to create an investable market, as we have in the UK, that seen the cost of offshore wind be slashed from, you
know, by about 65 percent in the last five years, so now offshore wind is even cheaper than generating fuel with gas or with coal.
So it's very much about creating the market design. And that isn't necessarily an easy step. So understand what the prime minister saying with
respect to it being a planning issue. It does take time. But I think I'd add one more point it's not just about how you generate the fuel or the
power. It's also about how you design a grid system.
And the example of the UK here is quite pertinent, where we had a very centralized system with lots of power stations in the middle of the
country, to then having a system where all their power is coming from the sea.
And you need to not just think about how you transition the power plants but also the grid as well to make that to make that possible.
GIOKOS: Absolutely, I'm so glad you mentioned that. Because when I think about the South African case, and South Africa has been able to diversify
into solar and wind, but coal is 85 percent for example, of you know, their energy source. The grid system is important how you sell the electricity is
important. What the policies are in place are important. The cost per kilowatt hour is of course vital as well.
So when you seeing these big economies that have an abundance of fossil fuels, saying they want to transition, this can't happen overnight. What is
the starting point would you say?
MCGRAIL: Well, I think the starting point in many respects is setting targets. In the UK, if we go back a decade, we set very clear target for
2020; about 20 cents of our electricity should be renewable. And we created a regime in which that obliged suppliers to ensure that that was the case
and that really stimulated the market.
[11:35:00]
MCGRAIL: So you really got to start by setting a clear direction of travel. Now, of course, many economies still want to have competition between
different technologies. And that is possible in the market design.
But I think, you know, setting that direction to travel here, governments have a very important role to play. And that's, you know, now translated,
translated today into targets in the UK, where we have a very clear ambition for 40 percent sorry, and 40 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030.
And that really helps policymakers, private sector, academia, innovation, really focused the mind to work out how to do it, and taking the specifics
of that country.
GIOKOS: OK.
MCGRAIL: And in the case of a country like South Africa, which has a really high abundance of coal, and need to not just think about adding wind and
solar. But what how do you also balance the system on the days when you know, the solar and the wind generation isn't going to be.
GIOKOS: Exactly, so that's my question, I just want you to just very quickly, so when we say about energy transition, and you're saying, you
know, get rid of oil, transition with gas, you know, got to think about getting out of coal, is wind and hydro and solar, going to produce
thousands of megawatts to be able to sustain an economy that's growing rapidly?
MCGRAIL: Well, if you look at the UK on Monday, and we've seen the images of lots of people trying to arrive at a COP, it was incredibly windy day.
And nearly half of the electricity of the whole country, you know, it's 70 million people in Britain was coming from, from wind energy and 68 percent
of it was with zero carbon.
So it is possible in a relatively short period of time to transition by building those markets. However, you know we've been bent; we have the
benefit in the UK of having gas generation as well, which is very flexible, whereas coal isn't necessarily quite as flexible.
So you've got to, to look at the specifics of each country and work out, you know, how do I set that direction of travel? How do I produce at scale
and speed up delivery at scale?
And that's really where we are now, I think, in the UK. But then, you know, what is the next step in terms of making sure you've got the other
generation sources storage, hydrogen, other fuels available to balance the system?
GIOKOS: So Dan, what is the percentage mix? So what is the percentage mix in the UK of renewable energy sources versus, you know, dirty options?
Don't you think that the level that the UK is at right now, it should have had a much more aggressive transition, that it could have done it faster?
MCGRAIL: I think you could, I definitely don't think it can go really much faster. I think what the UK has done has been quite significant. And as
world leading in terms of, you know, scaling up offshore wind, we have the biggest installed fleet of offshore wind in the world.
We've had decarbonized from 1991 levels more than any other country in the G7. So it is a very rapid transition. I am, however, on decarbonization
impatient. So, you know, maybe we could have gone a little faster. But I think the question now is how we go even faster in the future.
And I think, you know, it still takes too long to develop wind farms, the planning regimes, and consenting is still incredibly complicated. So we
need to be able to figure out how do we take some of the spirit of, of innovation that we saw in developing a vaccine to COVID and apply that into
the net zero challenge.
GIOKOS: All right, Dan, thank you very much for those insights. It's an interesting space that you're in and we're hoping as you say that it you
know, we speed things up and of course, bring the cost down, which is important and will make it more economically viable then fossil fuels.
Thank you very much so for your time.
We've been delving into the business aspect of the climate crisis on COP26 Finance day. So how can individual companies join in? CEOs in the beauty
industry gathered at the Dubai Expo to show what - show us what they are doing to make their companies cleaner and greener. Here's a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS (voice over): In an industry with more than $500 billion the latest lipstick color in the beauty industry is not traditional red, but green.
There is an industry wide push to transform the entire value chain from packaging to ecofriendly ingredients and consumer behavior. Leading that
charge is one of the beauty industry's biggest names, L'Oreal.
NICOLAS HIERONIMUS, CEO, L'OREAL: It's very impressive. The dome is really incredible.
GIOKOS (voice over): We met up with CEO Nicolas Hieronimus at the Dubai Expo to hear about what his company is doing to become greener.
GIOKOS (on camera): So tell me about all your exciting innovations that you're going to be showcasing at Expo?
[11:40:00]
HIERONIMUS: Well, we have, we have several innovations from our brands. One of the ones I'm most excited about is that we are showcasing the salon of
the future, where we'll be showing ways to make a hairstyle more sustainable.
We're partnering with a startup, - Gil Sela tweeted a showerhead that reduces water consumption by up to 6 percent. We're also recycling
everything from the subtle of course bottles and trash with more importantly, hair.
Hair can be can be recycled in and create mesh to absorb oil that was, you know, left into the sea. So it's a really incredible potential.
GIOKOS (on camera): And that's what L'Oreal is showcasing here at EXPO. The salon of the future, with taps that conserve 60 percent water to products
with ingredients that require less water to rinse off to rethinking waste and energy conservation. But the beauty industry is in for an enormous
shake up if it's going to truly become sustainable.
JASON CHANNELL, HEAD OF SUSTAINABLE FINANCE, CITI: Let's be clear about this. It's yes, they want to do good. But this isn't out of some sort of,
you know, deep rooted sense of altruism. I mean, that's there because you know, people want to do good on that.
But this is basic, good business, right? If you're in a consumer goods facing business, you know, who's your ultimate customer? Well, it's, it's,
the public, right? It's the consumer that buys it and the consumers attitudes are changing. We've announced a trillion dollar sustainable
financing program, $500 billion of which is into climate related projects, and the other half a trillion is into more sustainable finance.
GIOKOS (voice over): And it's not just about sustainable finance and making corporations green, but also making factories behind these big companies
more ecofriendly.
HIERONIMUS: Since 2013 we reduced our carbon emissions by 81 percent, whilst increasing our production by 29. And now we have a new commitment
that's called L'Oreal for the future where we commit to have 100 percent of our sites, whether industrial or administrative carbon neutral by 2025.
GIOKOS (on camera): So how long before your industrial sites can become carbon neutral, would you say because you also plugged into very dirty
industries like the petrochemical industry, which you rely on for raw materials and of course for packer thing.
HIERONIMUS: Well, that's more on the supplier side. And by the way, we've also committed to have 95 percent of our ingredients from bio source or
renewable ingredients. So we work with our partners, they are part of our pledge. As far as our industrial sites are concerned, a lot of them already
carbon neutral, it's the case for example, in the USA, all our factories are carbon neutral.
GIOKOS (voice over): The U.S. is currently the world's largest beauty market, followed by China and Japan. While projections for growth vary, the
market is expected to exceed $800 billion by 2025.
But one thing is apparent that clean beauty is here to stay. And as brands such as L'Oreal continue to innovate, consumers will react, but it will
take the entire beauty industry to get on board to become greener.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Alright, and ahead on the show Thai authorities arrest a CEO of a company at the heart of a CNN investigation into fake and used medical
gloves, details on that case and others that have since emerged.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:45:00]
GIOKOS: This just into CNN Saudi Arabia's Food and Drug authority has approved Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccines for kids aged five to 11. The Ministry
of Health said in a statement a short while ago, the Kingdom has administered 46 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines so far.
And on Monday, he UAE approved the drug for emergency use among children aged five to 11. And children in this age group in the U.S. started
receiving COVID shots today. Alright, so the CEO of a Thai company at the heart of a CNN investigation into fake and use medical gloves has been
arrested, now that's according to Thailand central Investigation Bureau.
Police say the man who is CEO of a company called SkyMed faces charges of public fraud and distributing false information by computer. The Central
Investigation Bureau says a U.S. customer agreed to pay over $15 million for SkyMed gloves.
More than $6 million were wired as a down payment but authorities say no gloves have been shipped to the client. Police say the CEO has denied all
charges against him. CNN is seeking comment from his legal representation.
Now this erased came days after CNN investigation found that 10s of millions of filthy used medical gloves had been imported into the United
States. Shortly after CNN's first report aired last week, a Thai prosecutor announced charges against another Thai company alleging it exported
millions of substandard, soiled and reused medical gloves to U.S. distributors.
A Miami based businessman told CNN he ordered about $2 million worth of gloves from a company called "paddy the room" late last year. Here's a part
of Scott McLean's report.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): These are bags of discarded medical gloves many filthy dirty confiscated by the Thai Food and Drug
Administration in December. It says they're part of a global supply chain aimed at countries worldwide desperate to buy medical grade natural gloves
amid a worldwide shortage that will take years to ease.
One of the customers who thought he was buying the real thing was Florida based businessman Tarek Kirschen.
TAREK KIRSCHEN, MIAMI-BASED BUSINESSMAN, PADDY THE ROOM: We start getting phone calls from clients completely upset and you know, yelling and
screaming at us.
MCLEAN (voice over): Kirschen was one of many customers of a Thai company called Paddy the Room Trading Company.
KIRSCHEN: These were reused gloves. They were washed, recycled. We don't know what they were where they came from. Some of them were dirty. Some of
them had blood stains.
MCLEAN (voice over): Kirschen says he sent the gloves to landfill and notified the U.S. FDA in February. But this is just one case. In the middle
of a pandemic, Paddy the Room had plenty of willing buyers. The U.S. continued allowing the shipments into the country according to import
records examined by CNN.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Alright, Paddy the Room did not respond to several calls and emails from CNN seeking comment over several months. Our Scott McLean reporting
they're joining us now live. This is an incredible story and it is very disturbing. But the CEO of one of the companies of your investigation was
arrested in Thailand. What else do we know?
MCLEAN: Eleni, yes, so the clearly secondhand gloves that you saw in that piece came in boxes, branded SkyMed and it was the CEO of that company who
was arrested yesterday in Thailand.
He was charged with several offenses related to fraud. Now last week we interviewed the now arrested CEO of SkyMed who told us that it's actually
its distributor, Paddy the Room who had counterfeited its gloves and actually SkyMed was the victim.
Thai police though don't see it that way. They say that the company SkyMed their website was a facade meant to lure in foreign buyers desperate to buy
nitrile medical gloves in the midst of the pandemic.
In fact, Thai police say that American customer you mentioned went to the address that SkyMed claim their gloves were manufactured at but found there
was no factory at all.
Now when we interviewed the CEO last week he gave us inconsistent and contradictory answers related to where SkyMed gloves were actually made.
And eventually he conceded that they didn't have a Thai factory, but instead their gloves were sourced abroad.
[11:50:00]
MCLEAN: He also claimed to have an order involving an American singer named Nikki Lund that would have totaled almost 40 times the entire global
production of medical nitrile gloves last year.
That actress and that singer excuse me, Nikki Lund told CNN that claim was clearly ridiculous, and that she had nothing to do with that deal. Now
remember, Eleni, these are just two companies that we're talking about. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Experts in law enforcement say that
similar schemes to sell fake and secondhand gloves are pretty common across Southeast Asia.
GIOKOS: Wow, look, the FDA is now asking hospitals to be on the lookout for dirty gloves, which is scary in itself. Do we have any idea where the 10s
of millions of dirty and secondhand gloves were imported into the U.S. where they ended up? Do we know anything about the value chain? And how
these were moved around?
MCLEAN: It's a good question Eleni. So as you mentioned, the FDA is investigating imports of used gloves and has acknowledged that many foreign
suppliers it says are failing to provide gloves that meet U.S. quality standards.
As for where the SkyMed and Paddy the Room gloves ended up well remember, these were supposed to be medical grade nitrile gloves, so they were bought
to be used in hospitals, clinics, et cetera.
Whether they were ever used in a medical setting, we simply don't know. And we did reach out to all of the American companies that imported gloves from
Paddy the Room and the vast majority did not return our calls.
Of the ones that did though we know that a lot of those gloves were put into a landfill. Some were sold on to distributors in Mexico, and others
were sold on to American distributors that supply hotels, restaurants and food processing plants.
Now one other thing to mention, and that's that in August, the FDA sent an alert to its port staff that shipments for both Sky Met and Paddy the Room
should be seized upon arrival at the border. But that warning didn't come until August. That was five months after the FDA was warned about those
companies Eleni?
GIOKOS: Alright, Scott, thank you very much for this reporting. And as you say, this could be the tip of the iceberg. And of course emerging markets
could also be some of the victims. Thank you very much for those insights.
Alright, so if you'd like to see Scott's full investigation into the 10s of millions of fake and dirty medical gloves circulating around the globe,
head to cnn.com. Pfizer Facebook is scrapping the facial recognition software it uses to identify people in photos and videos.
It's a major shift for the social media giants known for collecting vast amounts of data about its users. The feature had fueled privacy and ethical
concerns and Facebook has also promised to delete the billions of faces it already has on file.
The company says it might restore facial recognition in the future, but it wants regulators to weigh in on the proper way for companies to use the
technology. Right and just ahead for you on the show, an art experience that blends past, present and future more on the exhibition taking place at
the Pyramids of Giza.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:55:00]
GIOKOS: Before we go, today's parting shots and art exhibition is taking place at the Pyramids of Giza. The event is the first of its kind for this
4500 year old UNESCO World Heritage Site. The exhibitions named forever are now Becky Anderson spoke with the curator and the dean Abdel Ghaffar.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NADINE ABDEL GHAFFAR, CURATOR AND FOUNDER, ART D'EGYPTE: The whole idea behind amnesty is to create the fusion between contemporary artists and
historical - faces. This is how the idea of the pyramids caved into my mind. And I was like, OK, this is American, it's very daring, this is the
first time to have this curated expedition after 4500 years.
Artists are not in competition with civilization, but they are creating a dialogue between the past present and future. So many supporters, whether
companies that gave us their services, whether, as supporters, the patrons of the arts, we were truly overwhelmed I mean with, with the artist we had,
we had Jr. and street artist that usually creates optical illusions.
So this is kind of -- kind of a bit like, you know, greetings as someone holding a postcard, other very interesting pieces together. And I think
it's a very important message because actually, this is what this exhibition or the experience that people had with, with this together, like
we're all here from around the world.
We're all the same. We're all together. I'm overwhelmed with the presence of all these people that came from everywhere and that were so interested
in our exhibition and such a huge collaborative experience. And I think that's the beauty of it every - is a whole village, but this theory that
they don't work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Right, looks absolutely spectacular. Well thanks so very much for joining us. One World is up next with Lynda Kinkade in Atlanta. From me
Eleni Giokos, thanks so very much for joining me.
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[12:00:00]
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