"It's not the high-level speech of a prime minister or of heads of state that is making the difference," says Chiara Martinelli, director of Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe, addressing the string of notable absences at this year's COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan. Just a handful of G20 leaders are expected over two days, with notable skippers including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, US President Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron. "We have here 200 countries represented, 200 leaders represented, so I think it's huge," says Martinelli. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES