Q&A: What is the UN climate change summit?

Enough with the platitudes - it's time for world leaders to take concrete actions to avert a catastrophic heating of the planet.

That's the message United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has delivered to the heads of state gathering in New York for a summit aimed at galvanizing action to slow global warming. Officials from dozens of countries are expected to take to the stage and reveal plans to step up their efforts during the day-long meeting on Monday, which will be accompanied by a variety of climate-related events.

Here's a look at what the summit is all about.

Q: Why is this summit happening?

A: The Climate Action Summit is an attempt to kick-start the global campaign against climate change.

It comes at a critical juncture following the 2015 Paris climate accord, an unprecedented international agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Participating countries are supposed to continually ratchet