BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — World leaders are converging Tuesday at the United Nations annual climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan although the big names and powerful countries are noticeably absent, unlike past climate talks which had the star power of a soccer World Cup.

The next major United Nations meeting on climate change, known as COP29, is about to get underway in Baku, Azerbaijan. These annual meetings are the key international summits as the world attempts to address the unfolding climate crisis.

Cop29 finally gets under way in Baku; will nations be able to push for greater progress or will the negotiations stall?

The UN's World Meteorological Organization (WMO) signalled the highest alarm level in the face of the speed of climate change, at the opening of a major international conference in Azerbaijan on Monday.