CNN recently sent Anderson Cooper to Nepal to cover the aftermath of the devastating floods that have hit that country, which formed the basis of his Monday The Whole Story documentary. At one point in the show, Cooper and National Geographic journalist Ben Ayers suggested that “climate justice” demands acknowledging the floods are, in large part, America’s fault.
In a voiceover, Cooper declared, “Nepali government officials have made clear they believe the threat their country is facing is global, and that the solutions must be global as well.”
Nepali Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal was then shown proclaiming, “This should be seen from the perspective of justice and fairness. How fair is it for Nepali people and people of Himalayas to bear the burden of the climate change where we have had very little contribution to it? So, we are asking that question.”
Under the guise of "climate justice," CNN hypes the idea that the U.S. should pay climate reparations after the Nepal floods with National Geographic's Ben Ayers saying, "Already, so many people in Nepal are talking about climate justice. They feel like the warming climate, that… pic.twitter.com/hzzioGLJNR
— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) September 8, 2026
Cooper then asked him, “Do you see this as a direct result of climate change?”
Khanal claimed he does, “Absolutely. There is no question that there is evidence.”
Ayers was then shown separately, asserting that “Already, so many people in Nepal are talking about climate justice. They feel like the warming climate, that climate change is contributing to these types of events, and they're paying a disproportionate price for them. The average Nepali puts out about four-tenths of a ton of carbon into the atmosphere per year, whereas the average American, like me, puts in 14 tons. It's understandable that they are crying out for climate justice. I think other countries will join this cry. Whether or not they have the political muscle and ability to actually achieve that justice remains to be seen.”
While Ayers never defined what “climate justice” means, Nepali officials have made a $20 million demand from the U.N.’s Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, which is the voluntary U.N. fund that goes beyond typical disaster aid that countries contribute to, but most choose not to, or if they do, only in small amounts. Presumably, Ayers wants the U.S. to donate considerable sums of money to the fund.
What Ayers left out in his singling out of the U.S. is that in the aftermath of the floods, the United States, despite all the rhetoric about the Trump administration and cuts to foreign aid, has earmarked $3.6 million in aid for Nepal. China, which borders Nepal, has reportedly only donated $2.2 million.
Here is a transcript for the September 7 show:
CNN The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper: Nepal’s Deadly Floods
9/7/2026
9:44 PM ET
ANDERSON COOPER: Nepali government officials have made clear they believe the threat their country is facing is global, and that the solutions must be global as well.
SHISIR KHANAL: This should be seen from the perspective of justice and fairness. How fair is it for Nepali people and people of Himalayas to bear the burden of the climate change where we have had very little contribution to it? So, we are asking that question.
COOPER: Do you see this as a direct result of climate change?
KHANAL: Absolutely.
COOPER: No question.
KHANAL: There is no question that there is evidence.
BEN AYERS: Already, so many people in Nepal are talking about climate justice. They feel like the warming climate, that climate change is contributing to these types of events, and they're paying a disproportionate price for them. The average Nepali puts out about four-tenths of a ton of carbon into the atmosphere per year, whereas the average American, like me, puts in 14 tons. It's understandable that they are crying out for climate justice. I think other countries will join this cry. Whether or not they have the political muscle and ability to actually achieve that justice remains to be seen.
