An energy crisis, the war in Ukraine and tensions over Taiwan have changed the geopolitical context of this year's climate talks dramatically.
Every year almost 200 countries meet to discuss how to jointly tackle the climate crisis and its impacts. Thousands of observers, civil society groups and media attend too.France hosted the 2015 talks, which yielded the historic Paris Agreement, under which countries agreed the need to limit global warming to below 2°C, and ideally to 1.5°C, of warming above pre-industrial levels.
King Charles, renowned for his environmentalism whilst Prince of Wales, pulled out following discussions with the prime minister,A key success of COP26 was countries agreeing on the more ambitious target of limiting global temperature rises to 1.5°C, rather than the much more dangerous 2°C limit. Rich countries fear that paying compensation for such loss and damage would open the floodgates to future claims not just for climate impacts, but things like who should eventually pay for the damage in Ukraine, or reparations for slavery.
But they fear Egypt's oppression of environmental groups and government critics - tens of thousands are currently thought to be imprisoned - will hinder the participation of journalists, activists and civil society groups at COP27.What impact will Russia's war in Ukraine have on talks?
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