How Friday's Attacks Raise the Stakes For the Paris Climate Talks

In the wake of catastrophic terrorist attacks on Paris, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has announced that the U.N. climate summit—slated to take place in the French capital at the end of the month—will be “reduced to the negotiation,” with “concerts and festive events” likely to be cancelled. The fate of a mass demonstration in the streets of Paris, planned to take place on the eve of the critical conference, is also in question.

Security is the primary concern surrounding the landmark conference, which expects some “10,000 government representatives plus 7,000 observers per week and 3,000 journalists, in addition to thousands of climate campaigners,” Politico reports. Friday, 129 people were killed and more than 350 were injured in attacks on cafes, restaurants, a concert hall, and a stadium not far from where the climate talks will be held. The Islamic State, or ISIS, has taken responsibility, calling the acts of terror “the first of the storm,” according to the New York Times.