BRUSSELS, Nov 5 (Reuters) – World leaders from major economies including the United States, the European Union and Brazil are planning to skip this year’s United Nations climate change summit, known as COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will not attend the COP29 climate summit because of political developments in Brussels, a Commission spokesperson told Reuters on Tuesday.

There, EU lawmakers are vetting the members of her new European Commission, who will lead EU policymaking for the next five years.

“The Commission is in a transition phase and the president will therefore focus on her institutional duties,” the spokesperson said.

U.S. President Joe Biden will also not travel to the event, a Biden administration source told Reuters. COP29 begins on Nov. 11, a few days after the U.S. presidential election.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva already cancelled his trip to COP29 following a head injury last month.

Some, but not all, world leaders attend U.N. climate summits. At past COP gatherings, they have used their speeches to announce new CO2-cutting policies and funding, or redouble their commitment to global efforts to curb climate change.

The U.S. election is looming over this year’s U.N. climate talks, where nearly 200 countries will try to agree a huge increase in global funding to meet CO2-cutting goals.