Earth’s biggest polluters aren’t sending leaders to UN climate talks in a year of weather extremes

World leaders are meeting at the United Nations climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, but the leaders of the 13 largest carbon dioxide-polluting countries are absent. Climate scientist Bill Hare stated that this absence indicates a lack of political will and urgency to address climate issues.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized the need for developing countries to leave Baku with a deal, asserting, “This money is not charity, it’s an investment.” Nations absent include China, the United States, India and Indonesia, among others.