Over the next two weeks, leaders from nearly 200 countries are gathering in Glasglow, Scotland, for a United Nations climate summit known as COP26. They’ll tell us what we’ve heard before: that scientists have warned about rising oceans, sinking cities, famines and millions of refugees if we don’t dramatically reduce carbon emissions. Officials will tell us we all need to act ASAP. But the fate of humanity really rests with a handful of countries.

Today, we’re gathering our panel of correspondents from across the globe – L.A. Times Beijing bureau chief Alice Su, Seoul correspondent Victoria Kim, Singapore correspondent David Pierson and Mexico City correspondent Kate Linthicum – to focus on a few crucial countries in the fight against climate change and why it’s been so difficult for them to reduce their emissions.

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