Human Great Plains map at COP-21! Pictured are delegates from around the Midwest of the United States; Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri - including Mayor of Des Moines, Frank Cownie!

Do you wonder how businesses can play a role in the fight against climate change?  Join us TODAY at 13:15 CET for a conversation on why companies are engaging in the climate policy debate and how switching to renewable energies can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  Follow @US_Center and #AskUSCenter your questions! #COP21 ow.ly/UbWqk

#Climatechange is degrading crucial marine biological resources such as fish stocks, coral reefs and coastal wetlands and negatively affecting people and economies.  Tune in TODAY at 13:15 CET, to listen to a panel of experts who will discuss current and projected climate impacts affecting the world’s ocean ecosystems and solutions to reduce the damage of these impacts.  #COP21 #AskUSCenter #OurOcean ow.ly/UbWqk

What is the Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture?  This Alliance promotes changes to agricultural practices and food systems that makes these tools more responsive to #climatechange.  Join panel participants from all over the world @ 13:15 CET TODAY to learn about the importance and achievements of the Alliance and #AskUSCenter your questions!  #COP21 #ActOnClimate ow.ly/UbWqk

Spotted at COP:

What are you most likely to lose at COP-21? It’s not your room key, your USB drive, or your passport...it’s your coffee cup. Conference organizers have gone all-in on sustainability with reusable plastic coffee cups that participants can return to receive a 1 Euro deposit.

Overnight, these plastic cups have become as good as currency. Spotted: participants scooping up coffee cups off empty tables and desks, returning several at a time. Find enough, and you’ve got lunch covered.

It’s Tuesday and we’re fighting jet lag with exciting presentations all day @uscenter​.

HAPPENING NOW (1:30 PM CET): U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell is presenting on how the United States is building resilience in the face of climate change from the Arctic to the islands.

The rest of the day, come check out the NASA Hyperwall, an extremely high-resolution data visualization system developed by NASA to showcase earth science, climate modeling, and space observations; and Science on a Sphere, a room-sized global display system developed by researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that displays planetary data onto a six foot diameter sphere.

Great program from @nasa​ this morning on carbon measurement and products. Check out more from NOAA this afternoon on predicting extreme weather. This evening, hear from U.S. businesses on how climate action is a win for trade.   #AskUSCenter #COP21 #ActOnClimate

Also, we have free coffee!

At 17:45 CET TODAY, get down and dirty with hands-on peat samples from the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Conservation International. This session will examine the potential of wetlands to sequester and store carbon, and explore how GHG policies and public land management can make a difference in the fight against #climatechange.

Youth from around the world are taking action against #climatechange through unique and diverse programs and student-driven initiatives.  At 13:15 CET TODAY, join a panel of youth, climate scientists and decision makers to learn about these youth initiatives and how these students are becoming leaders in the fight against #climatechange #COP21 #AskUSCenter ow.ly/UbWqk

Today, the annual UN Framework Convention on Climate Change conference kicks off in Paris! Join @US_Center for discussions on climate science, climate adaption and mitigation, deforestation, and much, much more at ow.ly/UbWqk. All events have open Q&A, so don’t forget to ask your questions on Twitter using #AskUSCenter!

Have a question on #climatechange? #AskUSCenter!  The U.S. Center is a public outreach space hosted by the Department of State to inform global audiences about the actions being taken by the U.S. to help stop climate change. U.S. government agencies, nongovernmental organizations and private sector entities will highlight climate programs and significant actions that the U.S. is taking at home and abroad. For more information: ow.ly/UbWqk

Next week, climate change negotiators from all over the world will gather for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP-21) in Paris. The United States is committed to combating global climate change and is determined to work in cooperation with international governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, accelerate clean energy innovations, and help the most vulnerable cope with the effects of climate change. #ActOnClimate  Learn more: goo.gl/d73tzO

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We are gearing up and ready for the UN climate negotiations! We’ll stream 40+ events over the two weeks of the conference. If you don’t know us, we are the U.S. Center at COP-21, a public outreach space designed to showcase U.S. action and innovation to combat climate change.  

Events in our space are organized by a range of U.S. government agencies, NGOs, subnational governments, and private sector organizations. Topics will include youth and climate, the science of the melting of Arctic ice, the President’s Climate Action Plan, and much more!  

Our programming will be streamed live at www.state.gov/uscenter. All U.S. Center events are open to Q&A, so please ask questions using #AskUSCenter.

This December, nations of the world will gather in Paris for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change's (UNFCCC) annual negotiations. In Paris, countries will seek to land a new global agreement on climate change. At the center of these negotiations are two men who are co-chairs for the agreement; U.S. Diplomat Dr. Daniel Reifsnyder and Algerian Ambassador Dr. Ahmed Djoghlaf. The technical name for their position is Co-Chairs for the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP). In this video, the co-chairs explain their role in UN climate change talks; give the history of the negotiations; and explain why YOU should care about what happens in Paris in December.

The countdown is on to the UN climate negotiations (COP 21) in Paris: we are just a month away from the event. We’ll be posting more in the weeks ahead, so stay tuned!

Don't miss Secretary Kerry's remarks on U.S. commitment to address the threat of climate change LIVE today at 3:10 on www.state.gov.

Emcee, Ashley Allen, takes questions from the audience during the event. How the U.S. Will Reach Its Emissions Target. 

The full video from the event is available on YouTube. 

Taken from our event yesterday, The Role of Subnational Action and Cooperation in Global Climate Leadership. 

Left to right: Gary Gero of Climate Action Reserve, Matt Rodriguez of CalEPA, Nancy Sutley of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Mark Kenber of the Climate Group, and Huang Wenhang of China's NDRC.