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UN chief, Gore, others give heated warnings in climate talks

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (AP) - With the world on 'œa highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator,'' the United Nations chief on Monday told dozens of leaders to 'ťcooperate or perish," singling out the two biggest polluting countries, China and the United States.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wasn't alone in preaching with tones of fire and brimstone to try to shake up the world's sense of urgency at this year's annual U.N. climate conference.

'œChoose life over death,'ť former U.S. Vice President Al Gore urged. 'œIt is not time for moral cowardice.'ť

Some of the strongest pleas for action came from leaders of poor nations that caused little of the pollution but often get a larger share of the weather-related damage. Several called on developed nations for reparations, which in climate negotiations is called 'œloss and damage."

'œAfrica should not pay for crimes they have not committed,'ť Central African Republic President Faustin Archange Touadera said, adding that rich nations were to blame for the climate problem.

'œClimate change is directly threatening our people's lives, health and future,'ť Kenyan President William K. Ruto said of the African continent, which he said is looking at $50 billion a year in climate change damage by 2050. Ruto said Kenya is choosing to not use many of its 'œdirty energy'ť resources even though it could help the poor nation financially, and has instead opted for cleaner fuels.

Loss and damage 'œis our daily experience and the living nightmare of millions of Kenyans and hundreds of millions of Africans,'ť Ruto said.

Seychelles President Wavel John Charles Ramkalawan said, 'œLike other islands, our contribution in the destruction of the planet is minimal. Yet we suffer the most.'ť He called on wealthier countries to assist in repairing the damage.

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley called for a massive overhaul of international development loans and a 10% tax on fossil fuel companies, which she said made 'œ$200 billion in profits in the last three months.'ť

'œI don't need to repeat the horror and the devastation wrecked upon this Earth over the course of the last 12 months since we met in Glasgow,'ť Mottley said. 'œWhether the apocalyptic floods in Pakistan or the heat waves from Europe to China or indeed in the last few days in my own region, the devastation caused in Belize by Tropical Storm Lisa or the torrential floods a few days ago in St. Lucia.'ť

Ahead of this year's conference, known as COP27, leaders and experts have been ringing alarm bells that time is running out to avert catastrophic rises in temperature. But the warnings may not have the impact of past meetings because of multiple other challenges pulling leaders' attention - from midterm elections in the U.S. to the Russia-Ukraine war.

'œIn the fight for life on Earth, no one is a bystander,'ť said Jordan's King Abdullah. 'œEvery contribution counts. COP27 has brought us together to link forces and stand our ground. We are at the beginning of a long, challenging and urgent transformation.'ť

More than 100 world leaders will speak over the next days at the gathering in Egypt, most from developing countries demanding greater accountability from the richest, most polluting nations. Much of their focus will be on telling their stories of devastation by climate disasters, including a speech Tuesday by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif of Pakistan, where summer floods caused at least $40 billion in damage and displaced millions of people.

'œClimate change will never stop without our intervention," the summit's host, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, said.

El-Sissi, who also called for an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, was gentle compared to a fiery U.N. chief Guterres, who said the world 'œis on a highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator.'ť

He called for a new pact between rich and poor countries to make deeper cuts in emissions with financial help and phasing out coal by rich nations by 2030 and elsewhere by 2040. He called on the United States and China - the two biggest economies - to work together on climate, something they used to do until the last few years.

'œHumanity has a choice: cooperate or perish,'ť Guterres said. 'œIt is either a Climate Solidarity Pact - or a Collective Suicide Pact.'ť

But bad timing and world events hang over the gathering.

Most of the leaders are meeting Monday and Tuesday, just as the United States has a potentially policy-shifting midterm election. Then the leaders of the world's 20 wealthiest nations will have their powerful-only club confab in Bali in Indonesia days later.

Leaders of China and India - both among the biggest emitters - appear to be skipping the climate talks, although underlings are here negotiating. U.S. President Joe Biden is coming days later than most other leaders on his way to Bali.

'œThere are big climate summits and little climate summits and this was never expected to be a big one,'ť said Climate Advisers CEO Nigel Purvis, a former U.S. negotiator.

United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was initially going to skip the negotiations, but public pressure and predecessor Boris Johnson's plans to come changed his mind. King Charles III, a longtime environment advocate, won't attend because of his new role. And Russia's leader Vladimir Putin, whose invasion of Ukraine created energy chaos that reverberates in the world of climate negotiations, won't be here.

Many European leaders who spoke Monday singled out Russia as the cause of the current energy and food crises, saying the war in Ukraine showed shifting to renewable energy was a matter of national security.

'œWe always want more'ť leaders, United Nations climate chief Simon Stiell told a Sunday news conference. 'œBut I believe there is sufficient (leadership) right now for us to have a very productive outcome.'ť

In addition to the leaders' speeches, the negotiations include 'œinnovative'' roundtable discussions that 'œwe are confident, will generate some very powerful insights,'ť Stiell said.

Still, 'œthe historical polluters who caused climate change are not showing up,'' said Mohammed Adow of Power Shift Africa. 'œAfrica is the least responsible, the most vulnerable to the issue of climate change and it is a continent that is stepping up and providing leadership.'ť

'œThe South is actually stepping up,'ť Adow told The Associated Press. 'œThe North that historically caused the problem is failing.''

For the first time, developing nations succeeded in getting onto the summit agenda the issue of 'œloss and damage'ť - demands that emitting countries pay for damage caused by climate-induced disasters.

Nigeria's Environment Minister Mohammed Abdullahi called for wealthy nations to show 'œpositive and affirmative'ť commitments to help countries hardest hit by climate change. 'œOur priority is to be aggressive when it comes to climate funding to mitigate the challenges of loss and damage,'ť he said.

Leaders of poorer nations, joined by French President Emmanuel Macron, talked about the issue as one of justice and fairness.

'œOur part of the world has to choose between life and death,'' Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan said.

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Frank Jordans contributed to this report.

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Follow AP's climate and environment coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

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Follow Seth Borenstein on Twitter at @borenbears

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Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP's climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

World leaders listen as their counterparts give speeches during the COP27 U.N. Climate Summit, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Monday, Nov. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) The Associated Press
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, listens to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, giving a speech during the COP27 U.N. Climate Summit, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Monday, Nov. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) The Associated Press
Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore speaks during the COP27 U.N. Climate Summit, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Monday, Nov. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) The Associated Press
Ignazio Cassis, president of Switzerland, leaves after speaking at the COP27 U.N. Climate Summit, Monday, Nov. 7, 2022, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) The Associated Press
A woman poses for photos at the COP27 U.N. Climate Summit, Monday, Nov. 7, 2022, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) The Associated Press
Leaders gather for a photo at the COP27 U.N. Climate Summit, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Monday, Nov. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) The Associated Press
Baroness Minouche Shafik, London School of Economics Director, right, listens to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, as he gives a speech during the COP27 U.N. Climate Summit, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Monday, Nov. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) The Associated Press
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson attends the COP27 U.N. Climate Summit, Monday, Nov. 7, 2022, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) The Associated Press
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, speaks during the COP27 U.N. Climate Summit, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Monday, Nov. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) The Associated Press
Jordanian King Abdullah II, left, and Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, center, walk as leaders prepare themselves for a group photo at the COP27 U.N. Climate Summit, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Monday, Nov. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) The Associated Press
Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reaches to shake hands with President of France, Emmanuel Macron, ahead of a bilateral meeting, during the COP27 summit, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Monday, Nov. 7, 2022. Nearly 50 heads of states or governments on Monday will take the stage in the first day of 'œhigh-level' international climate talks in Egypt with more to come in the following days. (Stefan Rousseau/Pool Photo via AP) The Associated Press
From the left, US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz meet on the sidelines of the COP27 climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Monday, Nov. 7, 2022. Nearly 50 heads of states or governments on Monday will take the stage in the first day of "high-level" international climate talks in Egypt with more to come in the following days. (Ludovic Marin, Pool via AP) The Associated Press
Rwanda's President Paul Kagame heads to the plenary session of the COP27 U.N. Climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Monday, Nov. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) The Associated Press
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte speeches during the opening ceremony of the Water Pavilion at the COP27 U.N. Climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Monday, Nov. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) The Associated Press
French President Emmanuel Macron poses for a selfie at the COP27 climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Monday, Nov. 7, 2022. Nearly 50 heads of states or governments on Monday will take the stage in the first day of "high-level" international climate talks in Egypt with more to come in the following days. (Ludovic Marin, Pool via AP) The Associated Press
President Emmerson Mnangagwa, of Zimbabwe, center, walks to the plenary session of the COP27 U.N. Climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Monday, Nov. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) The Associated Press
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