AlQa'dah 17, 1436, September 01, 2015, SPA -- The United States and several European and Asian allies vowed Monday to take "urgent action to slow the pace of warming in the Arctic" as they gathered in Alaska for a climate conference, dpa reported Representatives of the US, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, Spain and the European Union say in a joint statement that they take seriously scientific warnings about warming in the Arctic that is proceeding at twice the global rate and warn that shrinking glaciers and melting snow and ice in the region could speed up the impacts of climate change. They called for a "successful, ambitious outcome" at climate talks in Paris later this year. The countries also voiced support for an agreement to reduce soot agreed by Arctic countries earlier this year and efforts to reduce methane emissions to slow Arctic warming, and they called for more scientific research on the effects of climate change in the Arctic. US President Barack Obama was to address the Glacier Summit in Anchorage later Monday as part of a tour of the northernmost US state designed to highlight his climate agenda. The summit in Anchorage includes sessions for foreign ministers on the global implications of climate change, climate resilience and adaptation planning, and strengthening coordination on Arctic issues, the State Department said. Other policymakers were meeting separately to discuss climate change and issues such as unregulated fishing, renewable energy and scientific cooperation.
