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The COP26 summit to fight climate change is about to start. Here's what to expect

A major climate meeting is about to get underway in Glasgow, Scotland. It's a pivotal moment in the struggle against climate change. But it's taking place in the midst of political tensions.
Artists paint a mural on a wall near Scottish Events Centre (SEC) in Glasgow, which will host the U.N. climate summit starting Sunday.

A climate extravaganza will get underway in Glasgow, Scotland, on Sunday. President Biden will show up. So will other world leaders and a small city's worth of diplomats, business executives and activists. It's billed as a potential turning point in the struggle to avert the worst effects of climate change, and it has a curious name: COP26.

Is it worth the hype? What might it accomplish? Here's what you need to know.

Q. What's a COP?

These climate meetings began in 1992, when countries signed a treaty promising to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere and prevent dangerous changes to the climate. Almost every year since then, the parties to this agreement have met to talk about what still needs to be done.

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