COP29: Climate action at a crossroads, but key leaders stay home
As the world gathers in Baku for COP29, the climate summit arrives at a critical juncture. However, notable absences are raising concerns about the international commitment.
Next week’s COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, comes at a pivotal moment. Nations are facing growing pressure to combat climate change. With urgent financial goals and emissions pledges on the agenda, the “finance COP” is seen as a crucial opportunity to address the climate crisis. Even more so in the wake of the US election. With Donald Trump’s victory, uncertainty over America’s climate commitment looms.
However, notable absences threaten to overshadow the event. Following Trump’s election win, US president Joe Biden said he will not be attending the climate summit - marking his second consecutive absence from the talks.
Losing momentum
European Commission president Ursula Von der Leyen will also not be in attendance as she is preparing for her second term in office. Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, cited a domestic political crisis - his government coalition has collapsed - while French president Emmanuel Macron’s decision is rooted in the strained relations between France and Azerbaijan.
Other leaders are also declining to attend. Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will skip the summit due to health reasons, the UK’s King Charles is opting out as he is recovering from cancer and Russian president Vladimir Putin is prioritising his war in Ukraine. Overall, this year’s attendance will only be half of last year’s numbers.
While numbers don’t necessarily translate to the quality of outcomes, the absence of many of the world’s most powerful leaders is fuelling questions about the commitment to the summit’s objectives. It is infuriating smaller, often more climate-vulnerable nations, like Papua New Guinea, who are now publicly denouncing COP29 as a waste of time.
“We can’t lose four more years in the climate fight”
The low attendance, while unsurprising, contrasts earlier communications by some of the EU’s top leaders. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Thursday said Europe cannot risk “losing four more years in the climate fight”, as worries about US commitment intensify.
Yet with many prominent leaders absent, the summit’s momentum appears fragile and raises questions about whether the world’s largest emitters are truly committed to tackling the climate crisis.
The COP29 climate conference logo outside the COP29 headquarters in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku © PHOTO TOFIK BABAYEV / AFP
Related news
