U.S. President Barack Obama spoke to world leaders at the international climate summit on Monday, stating that “no nation large or small, wealthy or poor, is immune” to the effects of climate change.

The Washington Post reports that Obama advised leaders to take action, regardless of whether or not the effects would be apparent during this generation. Quoting Martin Luther King Jr., Obama said “there is such a thing as being too late.”

Over the next two weeks climate negotiators from all over the world will finalize the details of an agreement that will strengthen existing climate-conscious agreements and expand commitments in the future. Developing countries have stalled negotiations with the belief that the U.S. should be doing more to help them with the effects of climate change, as well as doing more to decrease emissions globally.

The summit presented opportunities for world leaders to discuss other pressing world issues, including Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin addressing the Syrian civil war, as well as efforts for peace in Ukraine. Obama and Putin agreed to speak again about how to end the fighting in Syria, but appear to have key differences in opinion on how to handle the issue.

Russia has targeted rebels that oppose Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The U.S. has demanded that Assad must step down pending any transition politically. Both countries agree that damaging the Islamic State is a mutual goal.

Obama also met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The two acknowledged their mutual achievements in climate change action, but Obama pushed for greater cooperation on issues like cybercrime, and China’s construction on reefs in the China Sea.

President Obama was also in attendance at the unveiling of a research and development initiative for new innovative technologies. The initiative is led by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and 27 private investors.