European countries, Canada, Bolivia, and Nepal have shown support for the 2015 Paris Agreement, which has reached the necessary 55 percent backing for implementation according to a United Nations website. The agreement is set to officially begin in 30 days on November 4th, just before the US presidential election. President Obama has hailed the agreement as a historic step in protecting the planet, while China and the US have recently joined forces to support it. Several EU nations have also formally signed up for the agreement. According to the UN website, 73 out of 195 countries have ratified the agreement. European Climate Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete praised this achievement, commenting "Great job!" The European countries submitted formal documents to the United Nations ahead of schedule to prevent other nations from triggering entry into force before them. An EU diplomat explained, "We didn't want to be upstaged." The rapid ratification of an agreement to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, particularly from burning fossil fuels, was widely praised for its potential to mitigate floods, droughts, stronger storms, and rising sea levels. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described the progress as once unimaginable but now unstoppable. However, many emphasized that more work was still necessary, with Environment Minister Thoriq Ibrahim stating that time is running out. In contrast, the previous UN climate deal, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, took eight years to gain sufficient support for implementation. The Paris climate agreement only required wealthy nations to reduce their emissions, with the United States choosing not to participate. Opposition to President Obama's climate change policies persists in the Republican-controlled US Congress. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican, warned that the deal would harm the American economy. However, Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever and Chairman of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, believes that ratification of the agreement demonstrates the urgent need for a transition to a low-carbon economy. Despite this, current national commitments to reduce emissions are not enough to meet the Paris goal of limiting global temperature increases to less than two degrees Celsius. According to UN studies, global temperatures are predicted to increase by 3 degrees or more by 2100, if current trends continue. This year is also anticipated to be the hottest on record since the 19th century, surpassing the previous record set in 2015.