According to a United Nations website, European nations, Canada, Bolivia, and Nepal have secured enough support for the 2015 Paris Agreement, representing 56.87 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The agreement will officially begin in 30 days on Nov 4, just before the US presidential election. President Obama hailed the development as a historic moment in the fight against climate change. Germany, France, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Portugal, and Malta, all members of the European Union, have also formally signed up for the agreement. According to the UN website, a total of 73 out of 195 countries have approved the agreement. European Climate Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete praised this achievement on Twitter. European nations hurried to submit their formal documents to the United Nations ahead of a planned ceremony on Friday, concerned that other countries might ratify the agreement and cause it to come into effect without them. An EU diplomat explained, "We didn't want to be overshadowed." The rapid ratification of an agreement to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, particularly from burning fossil fuels, was praised by many. This is aimed at limiting floods, droughts, stronger storms, and rising ocean levels. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated that what was once considered impossible is now inevitable. However, all acknowledged that more work is necessary. Thoriq Ibrahim, the Environment Minister for the Maldives and Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States, emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that time is running out. In contrast, it took eight years for the previous UN climate deal, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, to gain enough support to come into effect. The Paris climate agreement only required wealthy countries to reduce emissions, leading the United States to opt out. The Republican-led US Congress continues to oppose President Obama's climate change policies. House Speaker Paul Ryan argued that the deal would harm the American economy. On the other hand, Unilever CEO Paul Polman believes ratification indicates a pressing need for a transition to a low-carbon economy. However, current emission reduction commitments are not enough to meet the Paris agreement's target of limiting global temperature rise to below two degrees Celsius. According to UN studies, average global temperatures are predicted to increase by 3 degrees or more by the year 2100, if current trends continue. Additionally, this year is anticipated to be the hottest on record since temperature measurements began in the 19th century, surpassing the previous record set in 2015.