Leaders from around the world have gathered in Egypt for the UN climate change conference, or COP27.

Financial assistance to developing nations that have suffered from abnormal weather, including droughts and floods, will be high on the agenda.

COP27 opened in Sharm el-Sheikh, eastern Egypt on Sunday. The two-day World Leaders Summit will kick off shortly on Monday.

Egypt announced leaders from more than 100 nations and territories will be taking part. Among those taking to the podium on day 1 are French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to make a video appearance on day 2.

The gathering comes as working-level meetings over whether to include in the summit talks the proposal to prioritize funding on "loss and damage" hit a snag, causing a delay in the opening of the climate change conference by more than 90 minutes.

Loss and damage funding is on the negotiating agenda. But while developing nations are calling for a new funding framework, developed nations are reluctant to create a system that will oblige them to assist for damage incurred by climate change.

Massive floods hit Pakistan this year, while eastern Africa suffered record droughts.

What the leaders have to say on curbing greenhouse gas emissions and the issue of climate impacts to developing countries remains to be seen.