The 2015 Climate Conference in Paris, scheduled on Nov. 30 to Dec. 11, will push through despite the Friday night Paris terrorist attack that killed 127 people.
In a TV address on Saturday night, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the conference would go ahead "because it's an essential meeting for humanity." The summit, he said, is a chance for world leaders to show they are in solidarity after the attacks, reports Reuters.
French Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius says the summit "will be held with enhanced security measures but it is absolutely essential action against climate change and obviously it will take [place]," quotes Le Monde.
The summit, expected to have 118 world leaders in attendance, is expected to come up with a global agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions that continue to rise. U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry have confirmed they will attend the conference.
The New Zealand youth delegation had confirmed on Saturday also that if the conference would push through, they would attend. They are among the expected 20,000 to 40,000 delegates anticipated to attend.
UN Climate Change Secretariat spokesman Nick Nuttall assures, "Security at U.N. climate conferences is always tight but understandably it will be even tighter for Paris." He adds, "COP 21 [the 21st Conference of Parties to the Convention] is going ahead as planned," quotes Think Progress.
With the Friday night attack, the French government is currently reviewing security measures. However, the climate talks actually would be held at Le Bourget Parc d'Espositions, located 10 miles outside the French capital city.