COP28: Nations urged to take 'great leaps' at UN climate conference in Dubai

The UN climate conference opens in Dubai on Thursday with nations under pressure to increase the urgency of action on global warming and wean off fossil fuels, amid intense scrutiny of oil-rich hosts UAE.

The two-week-long climate negotiations being held this year in the glitzy Gulf city come at a pivotal moment, with emissions still rising and this year likely to be the hottest in human history.

Britain's King Charles III, world leaders, activists and lobbyists are among more than 97,000 people expected to attend what is being billed as the largest climate gathering of its kind.

The UN and hosts the United Arab Emirates say these talks, known as COP28, will be the most important since Paris in 2015, when nations agreed to limit global warming to well below 2C since the preindustrial era, and preferably to a safer limit of 1.5C.

Scientists say the world is not on track to achieve these targets, and nations must make faster and deeper cuts to emissions to avert the most disastrous impacts of climate change.

"Right now, we're taking baby steps where we should be taking great leaps and great strides to get us to where we need to be," said UN climate chief Simon Stiell on Wednesday.

A central focus will be a stocktake of the world's limited progress on curbing global warming, which requires an official response at these talks.

On Friday and Saturday, about 140 heads of state and government -- Pope Francis had to cancel last minute due to the flu -- are expected to articulate their ambition after a year of devastating floods, wildfires and storms across the globe.