World leaders should spearhead actions to jointly fight global warming, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said in Lima on Wednesday.

"Governments as well as business, finance, civil society, academia and all sectors must join forces," Ban said in an address to participants in the heads of state segment of the ongoing 20th Conference of Parties (COP20) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Working together, he said, the international community can "end poverty, transform our economies, and protect both people and the planet."

"Poverty eradication and environmental sustainability go hand in hand ... We cannot eliminate poverty and build sustainable economies without strengthening climate resilience and utilizing cleaner, safer sources of energy," he added.

The COP20, which opened on December 1 and concludes Friday, aims to prepare a draft document that could be adopted at next year's COP21 in Paris for eventual implementation by 2020.

The final deal, according to the UN, should help place "the world on a pathway that keeps average global temperature rise below 2 degrees C above the pre-industrial stage -- the safety threshold scientists say could prevent climate change from 'spinning out of control'."

"Let's make Lima COP20 a place we write our history and reaffirm our commitment to make this world better for all," Ban said.

(Xinhua News Agency December 11, 2014)