And with that, the limits are met—73 nations accounting for over 56 percent of the world’s emissions are now signed up to the accord. It’s hoped that the pact will be activated on November 4.
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That’s commensurate with the hopes of U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Two weeks ago at the U.N.’s General Assembly meeting, he said that he was “ever more confident” that the accord would be ratified this year. His hopes have been realized. Reacting to the the news, President Obama has said that enactment of the pact “gives us the best possible shot to save the one planet we got.” (Killer rhyme, Barack.)
Now comes the hard part. There’s still a long way to go if we’re to ensure that the planet doesn’t warm by more than the 2 °C described in the pact. The agreement is, after all, little more than a piece of paper. Now we need action by local and national governments to save us from ourselves.