COP29 begins today. On the table this year: global uncertainty and a looming Trump presidency [Video]

Uncertainty and corruption are already looming over this year’s climate negotiations, as delegates descend on oil-rich Baku to start talks Monday.

Azerbaijan, known as the land of fire for its oil-producing prowess, is the third petro-state in a row to host annual talks of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP29, that aim to keep warming to a liveable 2 C. Nearly 200 countries agreed to the threshold in 2015’s Paris Agreement.

“There’s a lot at stake for COP29,” says Catherine Abreu, director at the International Climate Politics Hub. “Whether we are able to leave Baku, Azerbaijan, with a successful outcome is going to rely a lot on countries showing leadership and operating in these conversations in good faith.”

The crowning achievement at last year’s COP28 in Dubai was a global consensus on the need to “transition away from fossil fuels.”

But already, BBC News has exposedsenior members of the COP29 team …