UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Climate Action Summit held at the UN headquarters has produced "inspiring" signs of progress, David Waskow, director of World Resources Institute's International Climate Initiative, said Monday.

"The summit did produce inspiring signs of progress, especially with the emergence of dynamic partnerships and coalitions," Waskow said in a statement emailed to reporters.

"In many cases, the private sector and subnational actors are moving faster than national governments," he said, noting that 87 businesses have signed on to ambitious 1.5-degree-Celsius targets across their operations and value chains and over 100 cities have committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

In addition, more than 130 banks, with 47 trillion U.S. dollars in assets, signed on to new climate principles, he noted, adding that 15 governments and 10 companies have also committed to accelerating energy efficiency by 3 percent each year.

"Other commitments ranged from expanding nature-based solutions and protecting the ocean to investors incorporating climate-risks into their portfolios," he said.

World Resources Institute is a global research non-profit organization, whose mission is to promote environmental sustainability, economic opportunity, and human health and well-being.