The United Nations' annual climate conference continues Wednesday with brief speeches by nations big and small.

The climate talks often have the star power of a soccer World Cup, but many big names and powerful countries are noticeably absent. That includes the top leaders of the 13 largest carbon dioxide-polluting countries.

With a climate-denialist re-elected as US president and another petrostate host (following Dubai in 2023)—hopes for ambitious outcomes at the 29th UN Climate Change "Conference of the Parties" (COP29) in Baku,

The 2024 summit in Azerbaijan comes amid fresh reports showing that global warming levels are accelerating, bringing more intense climate-related disasters and an increased demand for funding to mitigate and protect communities from the effects of climate change.

"However, we cannot forget the fact that the current climate situation of the world is the result of the industrial policies of (a) few developed countries and developing states shall not be deprived of their right to development because of what others have done.