This year's U.N. climate summit is struggling to focus minds on the health of the planet, with turbulent geopolitics, a confrontational host and the reelection of U.S. climate skeptic Donald Trump stealing the limelight.

The US election victory of Donald Trump - a known climate sceptic - could also prove to be a distraction, and some important leaders are not attending. COP29 is the world's most important meeting on climate change. It is led by the UN, and the 2024 event, the 29th such gathering, runs from 11-22 November.

"You owe us!" screamed a protest banner at the COP29 summit in Azerbaijan, where negotiations over how much rich nations most responsible for climate change should pay poorer ones are

A group of former leaders and climate experts said the annual U.N. COP climate talks were no longer fit for purpose and needed to be reformed, publishing a critical open letter mid-way through what has so far been a fractious summit.