Less than a month out from the COP26 climate talks, are the pieces falling into place for a successful summit?

It's still far from clear, with some big emerging economies - including India, China and Indonesia - still missing in action when it comes to formally submitting stronger plans to cut their greenhouse gases this decade. Why? One key reason is a lack of finance from wealthy governments.

Poor and vulnerable nations have been waiting for months to be told when they'll get the $100 billion a year promised from 2020 onwards - but to no avail.

Rich countries must deliver on that commitment, otherwise they may jeopardise November's critical negotiations, the head of the U.N.-backed Green Climate Fund told our correspondent Beh Lih Yi as ministers gathered in Milan for the last round of pre-COP26 discussions (where once again they pledged to honour the commitment but didn't say how).

While totals may be inching up towards that magic number, there remains a massive shortfall when it comes to adapting to the worsening impacts of global warming, such as the fiercer hurricanes smashing into Caribbean island states - and it's really starting to matter on the ground.

"There is a very clear business case for helping to support these countries to prepare for the climate disaster that they did not cause... rather than stepping (in) to help them clean up after a hurricane," said Selwin Hart, a Barbadian and special adviser on climate action to the U.N. secretary-general.

Global funding woes aside, cities in particular are pushing forward - at varying speeds - with the work needed to protect their residents from climate threats, whether flooding or rising seas.

Our Mumbai correspondent Roli Srivastava took an in-depth look at what her city of 12 million people is planning to do amid dire predictions that large parts of it could face inundation by 2050.

Flood prevention measures include digging below-ground tanks and smaller garden pits that can help capture and make use of heavy rains - but will a separate new plan for a concrete-heavy coastal road undermine that work?

We've recently also reported on how COP26 host Glasgow could heat its chilly homes in a greener way - and watch out for another long read to come on London at the end of this month.

Another recent theme has been how laws and legislation can be used to help or hinder measures to combat climate change.

Our Brussels correspondent reports on fears that multi-billion-euro lawsuits from fossil fuel investors using the Energy Charter Treaty could allow coal plants in 54 signatory states to keep belching CO2 for over a decade, putting the Paris Agreement at risk.

Originally drawn up to protect European energy firms as the Soviet Union crumbled, Yamina Saheb, the treaty's former energy efficiency chief, warns it could be used against EU countries themselves.

And in Washington D.C., experts and advocates say the massive infrastructure bill moving through the U.S. Congress could make it easier to get approval for new fossil fuel projects - including controversial oil and gas pipelines - with reduced public input.

See you next week!

Megan

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