The UN has warned 2024 will be the hottest year on record, as its annual climate conference begins in Baku
World leaders from around 200 nations are due to appear over the next two weeks at COP29 in the oil-producing nation of Azerbaijan
A particular focus will be how countries plan to limit long-term global temperature rises to 1.5C – a target set by the Paris Agreement in 2015
While this year has seen average temperatures 1.5C above the pre-industrial era, the UN says the vital target has not yet been breached – as it refers to longer-term trends
But other worrying findings include that the pace sea ice and glaciers are melting is increasing – and ocean levels and temperatures are rising faster
