So it begins. An estimated 70,000 politicians, business leaders, scientists, activists, journalists and others from around the world are pouring into Dubai for two weeks, maybe more, of climate events and deliberations. In a year that saw the average global surface temperature breach 2C (3.6F) of warming on multiple days (that’s deeply concerning!), the need for faster progress toward climate targets is more urgent than ever. Many will be waiting with bated breath to see whether this meeting winds up being a success or a failure.

Held in the United Arab Emirates, a kingdom built on oil, this particular iteration of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP28, has already been one of the most controversial COP meetings ever, raising fears that it’ll be deemed another letdown.