The world is "losing the battle" against climate change, French President Emmanuel Macron warned dozens of leaders on Tuesday at a summit in Paris aimed at jump starting efforts to curb global warming.

Mr Macron's sobering statement came amid claims in the UK that the French leader is seeking to turn Paris into the world's leading green finance capital while Brexit talks continue.

Lib Dem Sir Ed Davey, a former Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, urged ministers to back the Bank of England's task force on climate finance related disclosure and bring in new corporate requirements on their fossil fuel assets in order to "tackle this threat and protect London".

Business Secretary Greg Clark brushed aside his concerns as he argued Britain "leads the world in climate finance", adding that Theresa May was promoting the availability of green finance in the UK at the summit.

Some 127 heads of state, leaders of institutions, charities and businesses gathered yesterday in the French capital to maintain momentum in the wake of President Donald Trump's recent decision to pull the US out of the 2015 Paris climate accord. Mr Macron dubbed the move "very bad news" and "agressive".