A summit-level meeting has begun at the United Nations climate change conference in Azerbaijan.

The annual conference, known as COP29, opened in Azerbaijan's capital Baku on Monday.

At the start of the summit-level meeting on Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed that floods are tearing through communities and children are going to bed hungry as droughts ravage crops. He said, "All these disasters, and more, are being supercharged by human-made climate change."

Guterres urged developed countries to significantly increase financial contributions to developing nations, saying: "Climate finance is not charity, it's an investment. Climate action is not optional, it's imperative."

Leaders and high-level representatives from about 80 countries and regions are taking part in the two-day summit-level meeting.

They are expected to discuss topics such as funding for developing countries to fight global warming and raising targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

There is rising concern among the participants about the possibility of the United States halting financial contributions, as President-elect Donald Trump has been hesitant to take action on climate change.