Leaders of top 13 polluting nations skip COP29 climate conference in Azerbaijan

Leaders from the world's 13 largest polluting countries, including the U.S. and China, are absent from the COP29 climate conference in Azerbaijan. This marks a significant change from previous climate talks, where major leaders typically participated. The focus of COP29 is on climate finance, with developing nations demanding $1.3 trillion annually to transition away from fossil fuels. This is the first time the G77 and China bloc has unified around this financial target. Despite the absence of key leaders, the conference features participation from smaller nations and a commitment from the U.K. to reduce emissions by 81% by 2035. Negotiations continue on how to support vulnerable countries facing climate impacts.