Leaders from 119 nations are meeting this week at a United Nations climate change summit in Copenhagen, but with around 200 countries worldwide, who is missing from the largest ever global environmental talks?
Some world leaders sent their minister for foreign affairs, environment or oil instead. Here is a list of some conspicuous omissions from the UN’s unofficial attending leaders list:
MAJOR OIL PRODUCERS
Fossil fuels are some of the main contributors to global warming, according to scientists. These nine nations account for around 44 percent of the world’s proven oil reserves:
* Angola
* Azerbaijan
* Iraq
* Kazakhstan
* Libya
* Oman
* Qatar (world’s highest emissions per capita)
* Saudi Arabia (world’s largest oil producer)
* UAE
ISLAND NATIONS
With melting icebergs comes rising sea levels, and low-lying island nations are amongst those expected to be worst hit. Although most island nations are represented by the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), these are some notable ones whose leaders are not listed as attending:
* Antigua & Barbuda
* Barbados
* Cape Verde
* Cuba
* Fiji
* Jamaica
* Solomon Islands
* Tonga
LATIN AMERICA
The Latin American contribution to global emissions has grown in recent years due to a rise in widespread deforestation. According to the World Bank, Latin America is home to the world’s most carbon-absorbing tropical forests.
* Argentina (second largest Latin American country by area)
* Chile
* Costa Rica (pledged to be carbon neutral by 2021)
* Ecuador
* El Salvador
* Honduras
* Nicaragua
* Paraguay
* Peru
* Uruguay
OTHER NOTABLE ABSENCES
* Switzerland – The mountainous country is one of the world’s richest per capita, but melting glaciers threatens its tourism industry and raises the risk of landslides.
* Ukraine – One of the world’s top 20 polluters, Ukraine has billions of Kyoto Protocol emissions rights that could be rendered worthless by the talks. [ID:nLDE5BE1T0] The Vice Prime Minister is attending.
* Italy – An attack on Sunday left Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi with a broken nose and teeth [ID:nLDE5BC0I4]. His environment minister is attending in his place.
