Towards the end of each year, more than 100 countries gather at the United Nations’ annual summit on climate change, called the COP. It’s the closest thing the world has to negotiating a deal to reduce global emissions of greenhouse gases.

Here’s which ministers have attended from the Australian government in recent years:

COP13 in Bali, Indonesia in 2007: prime minister Kevin Rudd, treasurer Wayne Swan, climate change minister Penny Wong, environment minister Peter Garrett (ALP), opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt (Coalition)

COP14 in Poznan, Poland in 2008: climate change minister Penny Wong (ALP)

COP15 in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2009: prime minister Kevin Rudd and climate minister Penny Wong (ALP)

COP16 in Cancun, Mexico in 2010: climate change minister Greg Combet (ALP)

COP17 in Durban, South Africa in 2011: climate change minister Greg Combet (ALP)

COP18 in Doha, Qatar in 2012: parliamentary secretary for climate change Mark Dreyfus (ALP)

COP19 in Warsaw, Poland in 2013: none (Coalition).

West Wing fans oft quote Aaron Sorkin’s line that “decisions are made by those who show up”. Not us.