NEW YORK (AA) – The UN on Wednesday hailed the ratification of the Paris Agreement on climate change after it cleared the European Parliament.
The deal, whose signatories now represent at least 55 countries accounting for 55 percent of global emissions, is set to take effect Nov. 4.
"Global momentum for the Paris Agreement to enter into force in 2016 has been remarkable. What once seemed unthinkable is now unstoppable," UN chief Ban Ki-moon said in a statement.
The deal drew closer at the UN General Assembly last month after reaching the first threshold when at least 55 countries ratified.
Strong international support for the deal shows "urgency for action, and reflects the consensus of governments that robust global cooperation is essential to meet the climate challenge," Ban said.
The deal is “the best possible shot to save the one planet we've got”, President Barack Obama said Wednesday.
“Today is a historic day in the fight to protect our planet for future generations,” he said in public remarks delivered in the Rose Garden. “If we follow through on the commitments that this Paris Agreement embodies, history may well judge it as a turning point for our planet.”
The agreement, which was drafted last year and signed in April, has the stated goal of keeping post-industrial rise in temperatures below 2 degrees Celsius.
*Anadolu Agency Correspondent Michael Hernandez from Washington DC contributed to this report