Zee Media Bureau/Salome Phelamei

New York: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is hosting a key summit on climate change Tuesday in New York where more than 100 world leaders including US President Barack Obama will attend the meeting.

However, PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi jinping are reportedly skipping the event.

At the meeting, Mr Ban Ki-moon will discuss the issues pertaining to climate with the leaders.

The aim of this meeting is to stir member states to sign up to a comprehensive new global climate agreement at talks in Paris next year.

“Climate change is the defining issue of our time. Now is the time for action,” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said ahead of the summit, reports the BBC.

Three separate sessions will run simultaneously in three different rooms during the one-day meeting.

Earlier on Sunday, Mr Ban took part in a climate change march in New York with thousands of protesters. The march also saw the participation of Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who has recently been appointed a UN representative on climate change. DiCarpio is expected to give one of the opening speeches at the summit.

On the other hand, scientists has warned that more carbon pollution was emitted globally last year than ever before, chiefly due to China, the US and India.