Scholz bows out of COP29 climate summit after government collapses

BERLIN — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will not travel to the COP29 climate conference in Azerbaijan next week following the breakdown of his ruling coalition.
“The chancellor will not travel to the COP29,” a government spokesperson told POLITICO.
Scholz had been planning to attend the gathering in Baku from Monday to Tuesday. Yet on Wednesday evening, his three-party ruling coalition collapsed, sending Germany toward fresh elections early next year.
Scholz’s withdrawal adds to a growing list of leaders deciding to miss the talks.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also reversed her plans to attend this week, citing the ongoing hearings to confirm her EU’s executive branch team.
France’s Emmanuel Macron, Canada’s Justin Trudeau, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, the United States’ Joe Biden, Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese are also not scheduled to attend.
The talks, which run for two weeks, are aimed at securing a new deal to finance climate efforts in poorer countries.
They took on new importance on Wednesday, when Donald Trump reclaimed the White House, promising to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate accord.