[Source: Reuters]

Britain’s King Charles began a visit to the United Arab Emirates, during which he will advocate for greater global action and accountability on climate change at the COP28 summit.

The king, who arrived in the Gulf state overnight, is due to give an address on Friday at the U.N. climate negotiations that are scheduled to run in Dubai until Dec. 12.

It will be his first major speech on climate change since he became monarch in September 2022. Other world leaders including India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak are also expected to attend the talks. U.S. President Joe Biden and China’s President Xi Jinping are not.

After a year of record temperatures, the pressure is on for this year’s summit to accelerate action to limit climate change. Countries, however, are divided over the future of fossil fuel – the burning of which is the main cause of climate change.

Host nation, the United Arab Emirates, is a major oil producer and member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and is seeking to include the fossil fuel industry in the climate debate.