German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned on Monday that "time is of the essence" to reach a climate deal.

Merkel made the comment at the third Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Berlin to a group of delegates from over 30 countries in the leadup to the U.N. climate conference in Qatar later this year.

Merkel warned that the current voluntary climate commitments were leading the planet above the 2-degree commitment and stressed, "There's nothing to be gained by playing for time."

German Environment Minister Peter Altmaier stated that he had hopes the two-day conference in Berlin would "inject new impetus into the upcoming U.N. climate conference in Doha."