Nearly 200 countries assented to what many claim is a historic international agreement to fight climate change and stabilize global temperatures at the close of the United Nations (UN) 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) in Paris on Saturday.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, president of the COP21, ended the 11-day Paris talks by sealing the deal. 

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"I now invite the COP to adopt the decision entitled Paris Agreement outlined in the document," Fabius said before a hall packed with delegates.  "Looking out to the room I see the reaction is positive, I see no objections. The Paris agreement is adopted."  

The delegates rose to their feet and erupted into applause as Fabius banged the gavel. 

The pact is the first to commit all countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions and, although partly voluntary, it is legally binding, according to the BBC.

In a national address from the White House, US president Barrack Obama praised the accord, saying it establishes "the framework the world needs to solve the climate crisis."

"I believe this can be a turning point for the world," Obama said, adding that the Paris climate treaty is "the best we have to save the one planet we've got."

China's Xie Zhenhua, Beijing's chief negotiator during the Paris talks, agreed.  "Although this deal is not entirely perfect and contains some content that needs to be improved, this doesn't prevent us from taking a historic step ahead," he said.

This early, however, the COP21 climate agreement has earned its share of critics. Many of the accord's detractors are dissatisfied that the agreement does not mandate how each country must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.  The agreement instead calls for a nationally determined contribution, which they say is insufficient.

There are also observers who claim the climate pact is condemned to inefficacy by its lack of provisions to penalize nations that fail to do their part in the fight against climate change.

Those who support the agreement nonetheless say it contains a number of groundbreaking measures.  Among the most important, they argue, is that the document calls for efforts to peak greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible. 

Supporters of the accord highlight other important points. They emphasize that the agreement states a specific and measurable target.  That is, to reduce the rise of global temperatures to well below 2°C even as efforts are made to further limit that increase to 1.5°C.  Equally important, they claim, is that the COP21 delegates managed to mandate a review of progress toward the stated objectives of the agreement every five years.             

Other supporters, particularly those in developing nations, note the importance of stipulations that create a $100 billion a year climate fund for the developing world, including provisions for further finance in the future.

"Today, we celebrate," said European Climate Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete after the nations of the COP21 adopted the agreement.  "Tomorrow we work."  

TagsCOP21, Paris climate summit, global warming, Greenhouse gases, China Paris Climate Accord, Paris Climate Change Conference 2015, President Barrack Obama, Xie Zhenhua