At UN climate talks, nations big and small get chance to bear witness to climate change

BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — More than two dozen world leaders delivered remarks at the United Nations' annual climate conference Wednesday, with many hard-hit nations detailing their nations' firsthand experience with the catastrophic weather that has come with climate change.

Leader after leader recounted climate disasters, with each one seeming to top the other. Grenada's prime minister Dickon Mitchell detailed a 15-month drought at the beginning of the year giving way to a Category 5 Hurricane Beryl.

“At this very moment, as I stand here yet again, my island has been devastated by flash flooding, landslides and the deluge of excessive rainfall, all in the space of a matter of a couple hours,” Mitchell said. “It may be small island developing states today. It will be Spain tomorrow. It will be Florida the day after. It’s one planet.”

Grenada's premier wasn't the only small island nation leader who came with fighting words.

Prime minister Philip Edward Davis warned that “it will be our children and grandchildren who bear the burden, their dreams reduced to memories of what could have been.”

“We do not — cannot — accept that our survival is merely an option,” Davis said.

Gaston Browne, the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, highlighted the “inverted morality” of big emitters who aren’t taking responsibility for their impacts on countries who have the most to lose. He said high-polluting nations are “deliberately burning the planet."

Past promises of financial aid went unfulfilled for too long, so small island nations will have to seek justice and compensation in international courts, Browne said.

Marshall Islands president Hilda Heine called the climate crisis “the most pressing security threat” her country faces, but said she thinks the Paris Agreement process — where countries agreed to limit warming to 1.5 degrees (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times — is resilient.

Azerbaijan president Ilham Aliyev took the opportunity to align his country with the predicament of small island developing states in a speech where he called out developed countries, in particular France and the Netherlands, for their colonial histories.

He described the harms of colonialism that continue today. Biodiversity loss, rising seas and extreme weather hit communities that are often “ruthlessly suppressed,” he said.

The United States also tried to show sympathy to hard-hit places.

“Do we secure prosperity for our countries or do we condemn our most vulnerable to unimaginable climate disasters?” United States chief climate envoy John Podesta said. “Vulnerable communities do not just need ambition. They need action.”

European nations also warned of climate catastrophe on their continent.

“Over the past year, catastrophic floods in Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as in southern Croatia have shown the devastating impact of rising temperatures,” said Croatia's prime minister, Andrej Plenkovic. “The Mediterranean, one of the most vulnerable regions, calls for urgent action.”

Albania Prime Minister Edi Rama said he was dismayed by the lack of political action and political will and leaders of many nations not showing up at climate talks as extreme weather strikes harder and more frequently. Frustrated with other leaders mere talk, Rama decried that “life goes on with old habits" and all these speeches filled with good intent change nothing.

“What is happening in Europe and around the world today doesn’t leave much room for optimism, though optimism is the only way of survival,” Rama said.

Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Europe and the world needs to be “more honest” about the trade-offs needed to keep global temperatures down.

“We need to ask hard questions about a path that goes very fast, at the expense of our competitiveness, and a path that goes some much slower, but allows our industry to adapt and to thrive,” he said. His nation this summer was hammered by successive heat waves after three years of below-average rainfall. The misery included water shortages, dried-up lakes and the death of wild horses.

Ireland environment minister Eamon Ryan channeled some hope, saying that the 2015 Paris climate treaty “still lives” and that countries who drop out will realize they are falling behind as other countries move forward and see benefits to their economies.

Negotiators at the summit are looking to hammer out a deal on how much money, and in what form, developed countries will pledge for adapting to climate change and transitioning to clean energy for developing nations.

On Wednesday morning, an early draft of what that final deal will look like was released, but it still contained multiple options that negotiators will wrestle over to reach a consensus by the end of the climate talks.

David Waskow, director of international climate action at the World Resources Institute said the latest 34-page draft reflects “all of the options on the table.”

“Negotiators now need to work to boil it down to some key decisions” that can be worked on at the second half of the summit.

The latest draft “does incorporate some new demands” including an ask for one of the largest negotiating blocs — the G77 plus China — for $1.3 trillion in climate finance, said Avantika Goswami, a climate policy analyst with the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment.

“Developing countries have been clear that a provisional goal must be carved out to hold developed country governments to account,” she said.

In a veiled reference to China, Germany’s climate envoy Jennifer Morgan said all climate-polluting countries should make contributions to climate funds, one of the most contentious issues being debated at the climate talks in Baku this year.

“There are countries that have been successful and prosperous over the last years since 1992, and they also can make a great contribution to getting funds into developing countries," she said.

Argentina withdrew from the climate talks on Wednesday on the orders of its president, climate skeptic Javier Milei, as first reported by Climatica. The Argentine government did not respond to requests from The Associated Press for comment.

Climate activists called the decision regrettable.

“It is largely symbolic and all it does is remove the country from critical conversations going on climate finance,” said Anabella Rosemberg, an Argentina native who works as a senior adviser at Climate Action Network International. "It’s difficult to understand how a climate-vulnerable country like Argentina would cut itself from critical support being negotiated here at COP29.”

Associated Press writers Dorany Pineda in Los Angeles contributed.

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

People walk outside the Baku Olympic Stadium, the venue for the COP29 U.N. Climate Summit, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Jennifer Morgan, Germany climate envoy, attends a session with the Marshall Islands High Ambition Coalition at the COP29 U.N. Climate Summit, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

John Podesta, U.S. climate envoy, speaks during a plenary session at the COP29 U.N. Climate Summit, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan president, speaks at a summit of the leaders of Small Islands Developing States at the COP29 U.N. Climate Summit, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

Eamon Ryan, Ireland climate minister, speaks at a session with the Marshall Islands High Ambition Coalition at the COP29 U.N. Climate Summit, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaks during a plenary session at the COP29 U.N. Climate Summit, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine attends a session with the Marshall Islands High Ambition Coalition at the COP29 U.N. Climate Summit, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

Czech Republic Prime Minister Petr Fiala speaks during a plenary session at the COP29 U.N. Climate Summit, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

People walk through the COP29 U.N. Climate Summit, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

People arrive for the COP29 U.N. Climate Summit, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

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NEW/DEVELOPING

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OBIT-TED-OLSON; TRUMP-RETURNS; TRUMP-UNITED-NATIONS; SPAIN-FLOODS; MMA-IRELAND-MCGREGGOR-LAWSUIT; AMAZON-DISCOUNT-STOREFRONT; GUANTANAMO-9/11; CALIFORNIA-NEIGHBORHOOD-REPARATIONS; APARTMENT BROKER FEES; TRUMP-ATTORNEY GENERAL; TRUMP-RETRIBUTION TIME; SUDAN-CHAD; MED-BIRD-FLU; MED-MCDONALDS-OUTBREAK.

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TOP STORIES

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TRUMP-BIDEN — President-elect Donald Trump has made a victor’s return to Washington, visiting the White House for a nearly two-hour meeting with President Joe Biden and committing to a straightforward transition of power despite actively working to disrupt the same process four years ago. By Will Weissert, Lisa Mascaro and Zeke Miller. SENT: 1,090 words, photos, video, audio.

TRUMP-TRANSITION — President-elect Donald Trump says he will nominate Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to serve as his attorney general. Trump also taps Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida as secretary of state, and selects Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic member of Congress, to serve as his director of national intelligence. By Michelle L. Price, Adriana Gomez Licon, Jill Colvin and Zeke Miller. SENT: 1,240 words, photos. Also sent: TRUMP-PICKS — Here are the people Trump has picked for key positions so far. TRUMP-RETURNS — Trump promises to turn Washington upside down. He’s being welcomed back anyway; TRUMP-UNITED-NATIONS — The United Nations faces uncertainty as Trump returns to US presidency. TRUMP-PENTAGON — President-elect Donald Trump has stunned the Pentagon and the broader defense world by nominating Fox News host Pete Hegseth to serve as his defense secretary. Upcoming: TRUMP-ATTORNEY GENERAL — Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, Rep. Matt Gaetz, was once embroiled in a sex trafficking investigation by the Justice Department he’s been tapped to lead. TRUMP-RETRIBUTION TIME — Trump has had few defenders in Congress as reliable as Matt Gaetz.

Find a selection of Trump returns to Washington photos in AP newsroom.

CONGRESS-SENATE REPUBLICANS — Republicans elect South Dakota Sen. John Thune as the next Senate majority leader, completing a momentous shift in their leadership that elevates a top deputy of Sen. Mitch McConnell into a key position as President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House. By Mary Clare Jalonick and Stephen Groves. SENT: 1,190 words, photos. With CONGRESS-HOUSE REPUBLICANS — Speaker Mike Johnson begins his fight to hold the gavel in Trump’s Washington; (sent).

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SPOTLIGHTING VOICES

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ELECTION-2024-EDUCATION-TRANSGENDER-STUDENTS — Transgender youth in the United States have been flooding crisis hotlines since the election of Donald Trump, who made anti-transgender themes central to his campaign. Many teens worry about how their lives could change once he becomes president. The Rainbow Youth Project, which serves LGBTQ+ young people, has received more than 5,500 calls to its crisis hotline in the past 10 days — nearly 2,000 more calls than it typically gets in an entire month. By Jocelyn Gecker and Sharon Lurye. SENT: 1,220 words, photos.

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MIDEAST WAR

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UNITED-STATES-ISRAEL-DOCUMENTS — A man who worked for the U.S. government has been charged with leaking classified information assessing Israel’s earlier plans to attack Iran, according to court papers. SENT: 220 words, photos. UPCOMING: 400 words, photos by 6 p.m.

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RUSSIA UKRAINE WAR

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — The Biden administration is determined in its final months to help ensure that Ukraine can keep fighting off Russia’s full-scale invasion next year, sending it as much aid as possible so that it might hold Russian forces at bay and possess a strong hand in any potential peace negotiations, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. SENT: 500 words, photos, audio.

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AMAZON-DISCOUNT-STOREFRONT — Amazon has launched a low-cost online storefront featuring electronics, apparel and other products priced at under $20, an effort to compete with discount retailers that have increasingly encroached on the e-commerce giant’s turf. SENT: 540 words, photo.

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SPAIN-FLOODS — New storms in Spain have caused school closures and train cancellations, two weeks after flash floods in Valencia and other parts of the country killed more than 220 people and destroyed thousands of homes. SENT: 270 words, photos.

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BIDEN-XI-TRUMP —President Joe Biden will hold talks Saturday with China’s Xi Jinping on the sidelines of an international summit in Peru, a face-to-face meeting that comes as Beijing braces for Donald Trump’s return to the White House. SENT: 650 words, photos.

SUPREME-COURT-NVIDIA — The Supreme Court seems likely to keep alive a class-action lawsuit accusing Nvidia of misleading investors about its dependence on selling computer chips for the mining of volatile cryptocurrency. SENT: 430 words, photo.

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GUANTANAMO-9/11 — A U.S. military judge at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has scheduled hearings in early January for alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two co-defendants to enter guilty pleas in exchange for life sentences despite Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s effort to scuttle the plea agreements. SENT: 630 words, photo.

CALIFORNIA-NEIGHBORHOOD-REPARATIONS — Black and Latino families displaced from Palm Springs neighborhood reach $27M tentative settlement. SENT: 530 words, photos.

LOUISVILLE-BUSINESS-EXPLOSION — Two employees have died following an explosion at a Louisville, Kentucky, factory that caused a partial collapse of the building and blew out windows in nearby homes and businesses, the company says. SENT: 730 words, photos, video, audio.

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INTERNATIONAL

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GERMANY-POLITICS – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that he will ask for a vote of confidence on Dec. 16, paving the way for early parliamentary elections in February. He declared his plans during a speech in parliament, a week after his three-party coalition government collapsed. SENT: 680 words, photos.

SUDAN-CHAD — Sudan’s military-controlled government said Wednesday that a key border crossing with Chad will stay open to keep much-needed humanitarian aid flowing into the western Darfur region which has been a center of fighting in the country’s ongoing war. SENT: 480 words, photo.

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HEALTH & SCIENCE

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MED-DRUG-OVERDOSES — New government data shows that U.S. drug overdose deaths appear to be showing a sustained decline. There were about 97,000 overdose deaths in the 12-month period that ended June 30. That’s according to provisional Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. It’s down 14% from the previous 12-month period. SENT: 590 words, photos.

MED-ABORTION-CONTRACEPTIVES — Doctors say requests for permanent sterilizations and long-term birth control like IUDs have surged across the nation since Donald Trump was elected president last week. People who feel uncertain about access to birth control and abortions in the coming years are stockpiling emergency contraception and abortion pills in case they need them. SENT: 840 words, photos.

MED-BIRD-FLU — Health officials on Wednesday confirmed bird flu in a British Columbia teen and said the virus was related to a poultry outbreak in the province. SENT: 270 word

MED-MCDONALDS-OUTBREAK -- At least 104 people have been sickened, with 34 hospitalized, in an outbreak of E. coli food poisoning tied to onions served on McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers, federal health officials say. SENT: 360 words, photos.

BE-WELL-WALKING -- Health experts say walking is an easy way to improve physical and mental health, bolster fitness and prevent disease. Getting steps in also helps lower the risk of heart problems, high blood pressure, dementia, depression and many types of cancer. Walking also improves blood sugar levels and helps people lose weight and sleep better. SENT: 670 words, photos, video, audio.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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ENT-FILM-OSCARS-BOND-PRODUCERS — James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson are being honored Sunday with an honorary Oscar. The Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award celebrating producers is rarely given out, only 39 have been bestowed since its inception in 1937. But this honor is especially meaningful for the siblings: Their father, the late Albert “Cuddy” Broccoli, got one himself over 40 years ago. Broccoli and Wilson occupy a unique space in Hollywood as the custodians of Bond and have a big decision ahead of them: Who will be the eighth actor to portray 007? SENT: 980 words, photos.

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SPORTS

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BBW--WOMEN’S-PRO-BASEBALL-LEAGUE — Seventy years since the last professional women’s baseball league, another one hopes to give women a chance to shine in baseball. The Women’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL) is set to launch in 2026, the first professional women’s baseball league since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League dissolved in 1954. SENT: 1,050 words, photos.

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Sri Lanka's Maheesh Theekshana celebrates the wicket of New Zealand's Will Young during the first ODI cricket match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Viraj Kothalawala)

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Mexican businessman Raúl Rocha Cantú, co-owner of the Miss Universe Beauty Pageant, poses for a photo next to an official Miss Universe crown during a media presentation at the Mexico City Arena, in Mexico City, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Police detain an anti-government protester on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Lima, Peru, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike on Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

President-elect Donald Trump, escorted by House Speaker Mike Johnson of La., for a meeting with the House GOP conference, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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Manchester City's Laura Blindkilde, center, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the women's Champions League soccer match between Manchester City FC and Hammarby IF in Manchester, England, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

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Members of ZAKA rescue services clean the blood stains at the site where a rocket fired from Lebanon hit a storage facility in the northern Israeli town of Nahariya, killing two people on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike on Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

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