New York: The contrast could not be more stark. Even as he goes about building a coalition for war at this week's United Nations General Assembly, the US Secretary of State, John Kerry has thrown his weight behind Tuesday's Climate Summit.

The UN's Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, marched in Sunday's rally, attended by estimated 300,000 people, calling for immediate and drastic action to mitigate climate change. He was joined by the French Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius and French Ecology Minister, Segolene Royal, the former Irish president Mary Robinson as well as the UNFCCC Executive Secretary, Christiana Figueres, and the EU Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard.

Meanwhile the Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, was not yet in New York and will not be attending Tuesday's meeting, though he will attend talks on the Islamic State the following day.

When it comes climate change, Australia is not considered to be among the most helpful of international actors at this meeting.