European countries, Canada, Bolivia, and Nepal provided support for the 2015 Paris Agreement, representing 56.87 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, exceeding the required 55 percent for the agreement to take effect. The agreement will officially begin in 30 days on Nov 4, just before the US presidential election. President Obama hailed the day as historic and emphasized the importance of following through on the commitments outlined in the agreement. Other European Union nations, including Germany, France, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Portugal, and Malta, also signed up for the agreement on Wednesday. According to the UN website, 73 out of 195 countries have ratified the agreement. European Climate Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete praised this accomplishment, stating "Great job!" The Europeans submitted their formal documents to the United Nations ahead of schedule to prevent other nations from ratifying the agreement and triggering its entry into force before them. An EU diplomat explained that they did not want to be overshadowed by other countries. The rapid ratification of an agreement to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions received praise from many, as it aims to limit the effects of climate change such as floods, droughts, stronger storms, and rising sea levels caused by burning fossil fuels. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated that what was once considered impossible is now inevitable. However, all agreed that more work is necessary as time is running out. Thoriq Ibrahim, Environment Minister for the Maldives and Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States, emphasized the urgency of the situation due to the threat of rising sea levels. In comparison, the previous UN climate deal, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, took eight years to gain enough support for implementation. The Paris climate agreement only required wealthy countries to reduce emissions, with the United States choosing not to participate. Opposition to President Obama's climate change policies continues in the Republican-controlled US Congress. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan stated that the agreement would harm the American economy, while Unilever CEO Paul Polman believes the ratification highlights the urgent need for a shift to a low-carbon economy. However, current emission reduction pledges are not enough to meet the Paris goal of keeping global temperatures from rising more than two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. According to studies conducted by the UN, it is projected that global temperatures will increase by at least 3 degrees by the year 2100 if current trends continue. Additionally, this year is anticipated to be the hottest on record since the 19th century, surpassing the previous record set in 2015.