Publications
Partners
Paris - French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius gave the UN's climate chief a key to the Paris climate conference centre in a symbolic act on Saturday, two days before negotiations are set to begin on a global deal to limit man-made carbon emissions.
Fabius handed the wooden key over to Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of existing climate treaty UNFCCC, who will oversee the summit where more than 140 heads of state are expected to negotiate a follow-up treaty to mitigate the extent of climate change.
At the Elysee Palace in central Paris, French President Francois Hollande received 14 representatives of non-governmental organisations that will take part in the negotiations.
Talks will be focused on limiting global warming to 2°C and raising funds to help the most-impacted countries adapt and implement sustainable development.
The talks, which will be attended by US President Barack Obama, China's Xi Jinping, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the leaders of dozens of other key countries, are taking place under heightened security measures two weeks after a series of terrorist attacks rocked Paris.
French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said that nearly 1 000 people have been prevented from entering France since the attacks, which prompted the government to implement border controls and instate a state of emergency.
Major demonstrations planned in Paris were cancelled due to the security concerns, although marches planned in other cities around the globe were still scheduled to take place.
