Environment Minister Leo Brincat said today that the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting that will be held in Malta in November will give the final push to the Paris Summit on climate change, known as COP21, which will be held a few days later.

Mr Brincat was addressing an informal plenary meeting of ministers hosted by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius ahead of COP21.  

CHOGM, he said, will serve as an opportunity to increase political support before the Paris Summit since climate change will be one of the event’s main topics. In fact, the Maltese Prime Minister will be holding a special session on climate change for Commonwealth leaders.

Mr Brincat said the commonwealth is relevant in the climate change issue, not only because of its vast geographical presence and the diversity of its member states but also because it brought a third of the world’s population together. More than a quarter of countries taking part in the UNGCCC are also Commonwealth members.

The Environment Minister also attended coordination meetings between European Ministers on climate change.