Democratic candidates to speak at town hall on climate change

July 26 (UPI) -- Democrats running for the presidency next year will participate in a town hall event in September that will focus exclusively on climate change.

The event will be held Sept. 4 in New York City. To qualify, candidates must hold at least 2 percent support in four approved polls by Aug. 28. It will be hosted and broadcast by CNN.

Democrats who qualify so far are Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, California Sen. Kamala Harris, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

The town hall will be held one week before the third round of Democratic debates in Houston on Sept. 12 and 13.

Many Democratic candidates have already unveiled their plans for climate change, should they win election -- including Biden, O'Rourke, Klobuchar, Kirsten Gillibrand and Jay Inslee.

One topic sure to be discussed is the Green New Deal proposed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez this year. She and Sanders also introduced a resolution declaring a "climate emergency" that's been endorsed by several Democrats.

The second round of debates will be held in Detroit on Tuesday and Wednesday. It, too, will be broadcast by CNN. The first round was staged in Miami last month.