12 Nov 2024

COP29 opens: what can these climate talks achieve?

From Nine To Noon, 9:20 am on 12 November 2024
08 July 2022, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Rostock: The coal-fired power plant in the Rostock seaport is visible from afar with its cooling tower over 141m high. The power plant has been in operation since 1994 and can produce 553 MW of electricity. Up to now, the power plant has obtained a large part of its hard coal from Russia, but alternatives are now being sought. Photo: Jens Büttner/dpa (Photo by JENS BUTTNER / DPA / dpa Picture-Alliance via AFP)

Photo: AFP

The global climate conference  COP 29,  gets underway today in Azerbaijan, focussing on how much money should to developing countries to cope with climate related costs. The UN summit comes against a fading hope of containing global warming to 1.5 degrees, and the US election result that could see it exit the Paris agreement. The Guardian's Environment Editor Fiona Harvey is there.