U.N. Climate Summit Kicks Off With $200 Billion Pledge From World Bank

Katowice, Poland, has coal in its blood. Situated in the industrial region of Silesia, it transformed from a village to a bustling city 150 years ago when vast coal reserves were found in the area. Today it still supplies most of Poland’s coal – on which the country is 80% dependent for its electricity.

It’s no accident that Poland has chosen to host this year’s two-week summit, which kicks off today, in this coal town. Each year one of the UN regions of the world hosts the annual climate summit, and Poland has volunteered each time it has been Eastern Europe’s turn. Three years ago it was hosted in Warsaw, but this year the government wanted to highlight the importance of coal to its economy.