A group of high-level climate diplomats — including Christiana Figueres, who led the UN climate talks in Paris in 2015 — released an open letter Friday in the midst of COP29 calling for urgent reform of the summit process.

The U.N.’s annual climate conference has swelled over three decades, with governments, fossil fuel interests and others vying for influence.

"Let us ask ourselves, what if this was my home, my family? This shared sense of humanity should inspire us to work towards tangible, transformative outcomes over the coming days, ensuring that COP29 concludes with meaningful progress.

COP29, this year's biggest environmental conference, is now underway. Here is how leaders from around the world are coming together to advance global climate efforts.

A coalition of world leaders from industrialized nations and climate-vulnerable countries at the UN Climate Change Conference in Baku called for more ambitious climate funding on Wednesday. "Trillions of dollars are required.