Baku (Azerbaijan): Leaders from around the world began gathering on Tuesday to participate in the United Nations’ 29th annual climate conference in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. However, major world leaders and powerful countries are missing from this convention. While previous climate talks have seen the presence of leading figures. This year’s annual climate talks are expected to resemble a chessboard. In which there are no famous personalities… but there is a check-mate game between developed and developing countries on various issues.
The heads of state or government of the world’s 13 top carbon dioxide emitting countries are not participating in the conference. While the share of these countries in greenhouse gas emissions was more than 70 percent last year. China and the US, the biggest polluters and the strongest economies, are not sending their top delegates to the conference. The top leaders of the top four countries representing more than 42 percent of the world’s population are not coming to address the conference. “This is symptomatic of a lack of political will to act,” said Bill Hare, climate scientist and CEO of Climate Analytics. There doesn’t seem to be any urgency.” He said this clearly shows “what a complete mess we are in.”
Leaders of 50 countries will address
About 50 leaders, including Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, British Prime Minister Keir Stormer and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, will address the conference on Tuesday. Still, leaders from some of the world’s most climate-sensitive countries are expected to make a strong case. The presidents of several small island states and more than a dozen leaders from several African countries are scheduled to address a two-day summit at the COP29 conference.
Allegations against Azerbaijan
Human rights organizations in Azerbaijan, which is hosting the UN climate talks (COP29), have accused President Ilham Aliyev and his administration of severely suppressing freedom of expression ahead of the climate summit. They claim that the administration has targeted climate activists and journalists. Aliyev’s father Haider ruled Azerbaijan from 1993 until his death in 2003 and was succeeded by Ilham. Both are accused of suppressing dissent. Located on the shores of the Caspian Sea, the country has a population of about 10 million and is rich in oil and natural gas reserves. (AP)
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