The sun is seen behind smoke billowing from a chimney of a heating plant in Taiyuan, Shanxi province in this December 9, 2013 file photo.
The sun is seen behind smoke billowing from a chimney of a heating plant in Taiyuan, Shanxi province in this December 9, 2013 file photo. The Beijing municipal government has proposed new rules that will set tight restrictions on offsets in its carbon market, aiming to avoid the fate of schemes in other countries where a glut of offsets has undermined carbon prices. The capital is one of six Chinese cities and provinces that have launch CO2 trading markets to help the world's biggest-emitting nation slow its rapid growth in climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions. REUTERS/Stringer REUTERS/Stringer

Hundreds of people in Auckland, New Zealand, rallied for the People's Climate March, an event organised by Avaaz to coincide with the UN Climate Summit in New York. According to reports, the summit will be hosted by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. The climate summit is expected to draw more than 100 world leaders to pledge their support for the next major round of climate change negotiations in December 2015 in Paris.

The march in Auckland was a convergence of people from all walks of life. From environmental activists to students, they came together to urge global climate action.

Liz Rawlings, 53, told NZ Herald that she came to the rally with a friend who drove to Auckland from Hamilton. She said she can see the effects of climate change with the extreme floods and droughts in some parts of the world. Rawlings added that many people have lost their lives and homes to extreme weather events due to climate change.

According to reports, the World Bank said some 1,000 companies will be joining forces to setting a price in carbon emissions to encourage industries to shift to cleaner technologies. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon wants to mobilise both the government and private sector to make "bold commitments" to deal with the effects of climate change.

Reports said the United Nations and the World Bank are advocating for policies that make polluters responsible and accountable for carbon emissions. About 40 countries have planned or already set up emissions trading schemes or carbon. When combined, they will account for 22 per cent of global emissions.

The Journal of the American Medical Association said climate change threatens human health pollution and lack of sanitation did 100 years ago. Researchers had reviewed the studies involving the health risks related to climate change.

The results of the research are released before the start of the climate change summit in New York. Dr Jonathan Patz from the University of Wisconsin's Global Health Institute said he and his colleagues have agreed that there is enough evidence in the last 20 years to prove climate change has "adverse health outcomes."

RELATED STORIES