Secretary of State John Kerry and Obama administration officials are meeting with major companies on Monday to launch the American Business Act on Climate Pledge, the White House announced. The pledge asks the companies around the world to set goals to make substantial progress toward reducing their impact on climate change.

French President Francois Hollande is calling for an ambitious accord on the climate to address the threat of global warming. Hollande isn't at the Vatican climate conference, but he made the call at a Paris conference of religious and political leaders.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday termed terrorism and climate change as the biggest problems faced by the world saying the solutions to these can be found in Mahatma Gandhi's life and ideals. [...] Modi also expressed hope that people of Turkmenistan will learn about the ideals and life of Mahatma Gandhi. 

Europe is launching a major diplomatic push for an ambitious deal on global warming, mobilising A-list celebrities and tens of thousands of diplomats to exert “maximum pressure” on key countries in international climate negotiations.

The consequences of the Arctic ice melt extend far beyond shorter shipping lanes. The warmer Arctic waters are opening access to oil, gas and mineral deposits for an energy-craving global population and at the same time increasing possibilities for ecotourism. 

Climate change is an area that should ultimately bring the two nations closer together even more than cooperation on energy. If the world’s two largest economies, and two most powerful nations, can’t come together to address this very real threat to human civilization, then what can they achieve together? 

The diffusion and evolution of new technology has profoundly changed the practice of public diplomacy. Originally considered an activity only practiced by states, private actors have increasingly begun to invest in public diplomacy related initiatives.