Alain Robert was handcuffed and taken into custody shortly before 12:30 p.m. EDT after he deftly inched up the side of the Times Square high-rise, which houses the newspaper's relatively new digs.

"I am climbing with my bare hands, as a PEACEFUL way to create support for far greater and urgent action from world leaders on global warming," Robert said in a press release he issued in advance. "Greenhouse gas emissions are still climbing. So am I!!!"

• Click here to visit Robert's Web site.

The Times reported the incident on its "City Room" blog.