What's the plan for this year's COP28 climate summit?
Here are the key issues in the two-week COP28 negotiations starting Nov. 30 in Dubai.
TAKING STOCK OF CLIMATE PROGRESS
The main task at COP28 is a first-time assessment of countries' progress towards meeting the 2015 Paris Agreement's goal of limiting the global temperature rise to «well below» 2 degrees Celsius, while aiming for 1.5C.
With global efforts lagging, countries will try during this «global stocktake» to agree on a plan to get the world on track to meet climate goals, which could include urgent steps towards cutting CO2 emissions or boosting green technology investments.
As the COP28 talks begin, countries are at odds over whether this exercise should put the onus on all countries or just the world's wealthiest countries to do more because they released the most planet-warming emissions historically.
Countries are expected to update their national emissions-cutting targets and plans by 2025.
FUTURE OF FOSSIL FUELS
The toughest talks at COP28 may focus on the future role of fossil fuels, and whether countries should commit to start phasing out the use of CO2-emitting coal, oil and gas.
Countries agreed at COP26 to phase down the use of coal, but they have never agreed to quit all fossil fuels — the main source of planet-warming emissions.
The United States, European Union and many climate-vulnerable countries are insisting on a final COP28 deal that commits countries to phase out fossil fuels.
