Officials from around the globe are beginning three weeks of gruelling climate talks that will involve grappling with a number of thorny political issues without the benefit of face-to-face meetings.
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The UN climate office in Bonn, Germany, has designed a schedule of virtual sessions in which negotiators share the burden of joining meetings before dawn, during the afternoon or late at night.
The schedule varies depending on respective time zones.
"This is not ideal at all," said Marianne Karlsen, who chairs one of the two international bodies holding talks, on Monday.
"We wanted to have all these interactions that we have when we are in an in-person setting but we do not have any other options."
Tosi Mpanu Mpanu, who chairs the second body, said although negotiators would not be able to encourage each other "with a friendly tap on the shoulder," he hopes "we're going to be engaging on substantive issues and really try to make progress".
Negotiations will focus on resolving outstanding issues arising from the 2015 Paris climate accord.
They include rules for international carbon markets, harmonising countries' timeframes for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and providing aid to developing nations.
Progress is seen as key to making the UN climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, in November a success.
However, due to the format concerns, no official decisions are expected at the virtual talks that run until June 17.
"We need to show up in Glasgow with decisions ready to be taken," said UN climate office head Patricia Espinosa.
In particular, a pledge to provide $US100 billion ($A129 billion) in support each year to poor countries to tackle climate change has yet to be fulfilled.
"The $100 billion has become one element that is crucial to building trust but it goes beyond the $100 billion," Espinosa told reporters.
The Glasgow summit will be a crucial test for international efforts to curb global warming before it reaches critical levels in the coming decades.
Signatories of the Paris accord agreed to limit the rise in average temperatures to well below 2 C, ideally no more than 1.5 C, by the end of the century compared with pre-industrial times.
But with global warming already about 1.2 C, scientists say drastic steps are needed to cut the amount of carbon dioxide and other planet-heating gases released into the atmosphere.
"We are not on a trajectory that it compatible with 1.5 degrees by the end of the century," Espinosa warned.
Her office has given countries that missed last year's deadline for submitting new emissions goals until July 31 to do so, if they want those targets included in a key scientific report that will provide the basis for further talks in Glasgow, she said.
Concerns have been expressed that unless the coronavirus pandemic is firmly beaten back by the northern autumn, the UN summit could be delayed for a second time.
Australian Associated Press
