U.S. President Barack Obama and over 100 other world leaders will discuss growing concerns about climate change in a summit this week but action to stem climate change might come from companies.

Mars, Inc., Unilever NV (UNA), Statoil ASA (STL) and five other oil and gas companies are planning to phase out fossil fuels they use, as well as plug methane leaks.

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Carter Roberts, president of the World Wildlife Fund in Washington, said the leadership from companies is very remarkable and is welcome. The commitment is said to be overwhelming.

The climate summit by the United Nations is set tomorrow in New York, a day before the annual meeting of the UN General Assembly.

The pledge from companies will then be discussed at an afternoon session with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. Other companies at the meeting are Air France-KLM, Siemens AG, Royal Dutch Plc and McDonald's Corporation.

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore will also be there since he's known as one of the prominent public figures warning about climate change and the effects of global warming.

Other companies that won't be in the meeting will talk about climate change issue in their own ways. The Rockefeller Brothers Fund will end their investments in companies still dependent on coal and tar sands.

Negotiations between Ban and the companies are preparations for the meeting in Paris on December 2015. The goal is to control carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases affecting the ozone layer.

Ban added that he's counting on the U.S. and China to lead the campaign since they're the biggest greenhouse-emitting countries. 

Tagsglobal warming, Greenhouse gases, Ban Ki Moon