Leaders due in Paris for climate conference

India today took the lead in articulating concerns of the developing countries in finalising approach of the Commonwealth countries in dealing with climate change ahead of the crucial Paris conference.

The U.N. climate summit formally opened Sunday afternoon with a minute of silence for the victims of this month’s Paris attacks and vows not to let terrorism derail efforts to slow or stop climate change.

The 21st United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP21) will see 150 heads of states to reach consensus on a single agreement on tackling climate change to cap the rate of global warming at 2 degrees Celsius from the current 2.5 to 3.76 degrees Celsius.

Trudeau will attend a United Nations environmental summit in Paris next week.

“We are very keen to create necessary trade infrastructure for ourselves and other small Commonwealth countries”, said Prime Minister Muscat.

Still, he said he was encouraged by the recent progress in the climate talks, which for years have been bogged down by disputes between rich and poor countries over who should do what.

In a text provided to the media, Trudeau pays homage to the Queen as a constant in the development of Canada over the last half century, including opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959, cutting Canada’s ceremonial centennial cake on Parliament Hill in 1967 and signing off on the repatriation of the Constitution in 1982.

“Pierre Elliott Trudeau was your fourth Canadian prime minister”.

“No, no, no”, Trudeau continued. One friend tweeted: ‘I have no words, only tears’.

Turnbull told Trudeau he hopes Canada’s new government will ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership – a politically sensitive file for the Liberals, who haven’t yet fully committed to the massive trade pact negotiated by the previous Conservative government.

In a bid to tackle the rise of violent extremism, the organisation said it was “imperative to counter the use of the Internet by extremist groups to radicalise and recruit fighters” and set up a new unit to try and prevent young people from becoming radicalised.

President Barack Obama revealed no details Sunday as he traveled to the talks, but wrote on his Facebook page that “we’ll work to mobilize support to help the most vulnerable countries expand clean energy and adapt to the effects of climate change we can no longer avoid”.

The most serious threat remains a copycat terror attack, but security sources here say they must also be aware of the danger posed by radical environmentalists. “We have to do them both together”. At a biennial summit in Malta, Commonwealth leaders called for developed countries to spend $100 billion a year by 2020 to “help developing countries implement plans for adaptation and mitigation”.