There were tears of joy as delegates finally agreed to the world’s first comprehensive climate agreement after two weeks of negotiations in Paris. The Paris Agreement was passed with no objections by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, bringing to an end four years’ of discussion and debate. Nearly 200 nations adopted the global pact, calling on the world to collectively cut and then eliminate greenhouse gas pollution – but imposing no sanctions on countries that don’t.

To a reception of whoops and cheers, Laurent Fabius told the hall: ‘I now invite the COP [conference of the parties] to adopt the decision. I see no objections. The Paris agreement is adopted.’ The plenary hall then rose to give him a standing ovation. 

Mr Fabius was reminded that custom requires him to bang his ceremonial gavel before the agreement can be passed.

‘I’m being reminded I’m supposed to bang the gavel. It’s a small gavel, but it can do a great job,’ and with a bang of his gavel, the Paris agreement was officially passed.

UN climate chief Christiana Figueres said: ‘I used to say we must, we can, we will – today we can say we did.’ 

The first draft of the ‘historic’ legally binding agreement had been reached around midday.

The report confirmed countries – if they accept the 31-page draft – will be expected to work towards limiting global warming to 2C above pre-industrial levels. Negotiators will reconvene this afternoon to approve or reject the agreement.  

However, the agreement took several more hours to reach – with one western diplomat revealing it was held up for two hours by the U.S., which was unhappy with one word.  The diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. wants the word ‘shall’ changed to ‘should’ in a clause on emissions targets out of fears that it might require the Obama administration to seek approval from the Republican-controlled Senate.

Prime Minister David Cameron said the universal climate deal agreed in Paris ‘means that the whole world has signed to play its part in halting climate change’, adding: ‘It’s a moment to remember and a huge step forward in helping to secure the future of our planet.’

President Barack Obama tweeted: ‘This is huge: Almost every country in the world just signed on to the on climate change—thanks to American leadership.’ 

Christine Lagarde, the IMF’s managing director, said: ‘The Paris Agreement is a critical step forward for addressing climate change.’ 

‘Whereas we left Copenhagen scared of what comes next, we’ll leave Paris inspired to keep fighting,’ said David Turnbull, Director at Oil Change International, a research and advocacy organisation opposed to fossil fuel production. 

Kevin Watkins, executive director of the Overseas Development Institute, said: ‘It is a tough message to deliver after two weeks of intense negotiations that have delivered an ambitious deal, but the challenge governments are facing can be summarised in five words – ‘now for the hard part’.’  

But Friends of the Earth said it was a ‘disaster’. In a statement released by the group, they said: ‘The draft Paris agreement puts us on track for a planet three degrees hotter than today. This would be a disaster.

‘The reviews in this agreement are too weak and too late. The finance figures have no bearing on the scale of need. It’s empty.’ 

Nick Dearden, director of Global Justice Now, added: ‘It’s outrageous that the deal that’s on the table is being spun as a success when it undermines the rights of the world’s most vulnerable communities and has almost nothing binding to ensure a safe and liveable climate for future generations.’ 

China and India, the world’s two most populous nations and biggest developing country greenhouse-gas polluters, hailed Saturday’s adoption of a universal climate pact as a step to a brighter future.

‘What we have adopted is not only an agreement, but we have written a new chapter of hope in the lives of seven billion people on the planet,’ Indian Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said to loud applause from exhausted but elated climate negotiators.

‘We have today reassured this future generation that we all together will mitigate the challenge posed by climate change and will give them a better Earth.’

China’s climate envoy Xie Zhenhua said the agreement saw the nations of the world ‘marching historic steps forward.’

‘All parties have made a correct choice that is beneficial for their own people, responsible for future generations and conducive to sustainable development around the world,’ he said through a translator.

‘This indeed is a marvellous act that belongs to our generation, and all of us.’ 

Earlier in the day, French President Francois Hollande pleaded with delegates to accept the ‘ambitious’ agreement, which was finalised during late-night negotiations on Friday. He said: ‘You will make a choice for your country, for your continent, but also a choice for the world. It will be a major leap for mankind.’ He added: ‘History is coming. In fact, history is here.’

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also made an impassioned speech to world diplomats negotiating the potential draft.

He said: ‘The whole world is watching. Billions of people are relying on your wisdom.

‘The time has come to acknowledge that national interests are best served by acting in the international interest.

‘We have to do as science dictates. We must protect the planet that sustains us. We need all our hands on deck.’

Speaking after the midday announcement that the draft had been reached, the G77 bloc of 134 developing nations, including China, gave the nod for the rescue pact.

Nozipho Mxakato-Diseko, a South African negotiator and spokeswoman for the G77, said: ‘We are united, all together. We are happy to go home with this text.’

The G77 added its voice to groups including the Like-Minded Developing Countries, the European Union and the Least Developed Countries, who have all come out in support of the final draft.  The meeting came after legal teams and translators spent Saturday morning combing the document before it was presented. 

Announcing the final draft, the country’s foreign minister Laurent Fabius said: ‘We are almost at the end of the path. It’s my deep conviction that we have come up with an ambitious and balanced agreement.

‘The world is holding its breath, it’s counting on all of us.’ 

He added that the accord would aim to limit the rise in global temperatures to 2C above pre-industrial times, with an additional pledge to get it closer to 1.5C.

The report states: ‘[Countries will hold] the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2C above pre-industrial levels and [pursue] efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5C.’

It also includes a five-year review system to increase ambition on cutting emissions as well as finance for developing countries to deal with rising temperatures.

The draft comes after two weeks of fraught debate as officials disagreed on how to phase out greenhouse gases and finance poorer nations. 

Many countries – including China and Saudi Arabia, where officials fear plans to limit global temperature rises could jeopardise oil production – previously refused to yield ground on key issues within the agreement.

During two weeks of discussions, the text was slimmed down from 43 pages in an attempt to find compromises.

Arguments over finance deals to help poor countries cope with climate change and adapt to low carbon economies have also been a major point of disagreement.

The United States said it would remain opposed to any wording that might force it to give compensation to developing nations struggling to cope with the impacts of climate change as a result of past emissions by developed countries.

Meanwhile, environmental and human rights groups carried out protests around Paris on Saturday to call attention to populations threatened by man-made global warming. Campaigners dressed as polar bears, scaled the Arc de Triomphe and painted a road yellow in a bid to urge an end to the use of oil, gas and coal. Protesters also stretched a 1.2-mile red banner from the Arc de Triomphe to the La Defense business district in Paris in a bid to illustrate the ‘red line’ they say climate negotiators should not cross. The protests were timed to coincide with the end of the two-week climate talks. They came as some charities denounced the final draft and said delegates had not done enough. 

Thomas Coutrot, of advocacy group Attac, said the final draft is an optical illusion that ‘masks’ a lack of serious policy changes like abandoning oil altogether. He said: ‘This accord is unacceptable.’ He also declared ‘a state of climate emergency’.