Every year, the UN climate conference conjures hundreds of headlines on global efforts to spare the world from climate catastrophe. This year, the summit begins on Monday, November 10, in the Brazilian rainforest city of Belem. But what exactly happens at these annual summits? Here’s what you need to know:

What Is A COP?

The annual conference is known as a COP, which stands for Conference of the Parties that signed the 1992 UN climate treaty.

The treaty, called the UN Framework on Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC), committed countries to working together to fight climate change – a problem they acknowledged all countries faced and was best tackled together.

The treaty also established the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities”, meaning the rich countries responsible

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