Climate talks kick off in Poland with boost from G-20 summit

Envoys gathered Sunday in the southern city of Katowice, a day earlier than originally planned, for the U.N.meeting that runs until Dec.14.AP  |  December 02, 2018, 14:12 IST
Smoke billows from chimney stacks of the heating and power plant in Bedzin, near Katowice, southern Poland. Katowice, in the southern coal mining region, is hosting global climate summit Dec.2-14.
Smoke billows from chimney stacks of the heating and power plant in Bedzin, near Katowice, southern Poland. Katowice, in the southern coal mining region, is hosting global climate summit Dec.2-14.
KATOWICE, Poland: Negotiators from around the world are meeting in Poland for talks on curbing climate change, three years after sealing a landmark deal in Paris that set a goal of keeping global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

Envoys gathered Sunday in the southern city of Katowice, a day earlier than originally planned, for the U.N. meeting that runs until Dec. 14.

Ministers and some heads of government are to join Monday, when host Poland will push for a joint declaration on ensuring a "just transition" for fossil fuel industries facing closure as part of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The meeting received a boost over the weekend, after 19 major economies at the G-20 summit affirmed their commitment to the 2015 Paris climate accord. The only holdout was the United States.