World leaders to show solidarity at Paris climate conference

World leaders are to show solidarity with France, with more than 120 due to attend climate change talks in Paris later this month, a United Nations chief has said.

A march to support an agreement to reduce carbon emissions was cancelled by the French government after the Paris attacks a week ago, which left 130 people dead.

But UN assistant secretary general for climate change said dozens of world leaders plan to attend the summit, due to take place from 30 November to 11 December.

"They think this is an important event," he said. "So they are putting their travel plans where their mouth is and they will be there to support the climate negotiations."

A number of climate-related events are being organised in Paris close to the location of United Nations Climate Change Conference.

"Inevitably, where there's a situation where there's a state of emergency, there will be some impacts on those - but still the events are going ahead and there's been a very strong sense both from Paris itself and the eventual participants that people intend to go to those meetings and intend to show solidarity with France and participate," Mr Pasztor said.

"So the conference is going ahead and all the related events are going ahead. That's the bottom line."

World governments are meeting to craft a new UN pact to rein in greenhouse gas emissions.

Whilst he acknowledges that leaders will discuss the attacks carried out by the so-called Islamic State, Mr Pasztor hopes the main focus will be on reaching an agreement.

"The challenge now is to move much further and faster to reduce global emissions so we can keep the global temperature rise to below two degrees Celsius."