“World Leaders Confirm Attendance at UN Climate Summit, But Some Big Names Still Missing”
Just over 100 world leaders have confirmed their attendance at the upcoming UN climate summit, marking a decrease from last year’s figure. The leaders of the US, China, India, and France are among those who have yet to confirm their participation at the COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan.
According to a document posted online by the United Nations, 106 leaders are registered to speak at the Baku conference on November 12-13, including representatives from Brazil, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Russia. This number is lower than the 137 leaders who had registered by a similar deadline before COP28 in Dubai last year, where more than 150 heads of state and government ultimately attended.
COP29 is expected to have fewer delegates and business leaders in attendance compared to COP28, with about half as many participants expected. Andreas Sieber, 350.org’s associate director of policy and campaigns, noted that while the number of leaders participating is less than last year, it still represents a significant increase compared to previous years, indicating the growing importance of climate issues on the global stage.
The reasons for some leaders not confirming their attendance vary, with distractions such as the US presidential election on November 5 and China’s focus on domestic issues like the COVID pandemic cited as factors. French politicians have also criticized Azerbaijan’s human rights record and its conduct in the conflict with Armenia, potentially impacting President Emmanuel Macron’s attendance.
Notable absentees from the list of confirmed speakers include India’s Narendra Modi, Indonesia’s new president Prabowo Subianto, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, and Australia’s prime minister Anthony Albanese. China’s President Xi Jinping, who has not attended a COP summit in person since Paris in 2015, is also not confirmed to attend.
The upcoming COP29 summit will involve two weeks of negotiations between governments to shape global and national policies on emissions reduction and climate adaptation. World leaders typically attend the opening days of the summit to showcase their climate efforts, make new commitments, and call for increased action from other countries.
Overall, the confirmed attendance of over 100 world leaders at COP29 highlights the growing importance of climate issues on the global agenda, despite some key leaders choosing not to participate. The summit is expected to be a crucial moment for advancing international cooperation on climate action.