UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon has touted what he called “the outstanding leadership” of the American and Chinese presidents, Barack Obama and Xi Jinping, for committing their nations to the Paris agreement on climate change.

At a news conference on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Hangzhou, Ban urged other leaders to accelerate their countries’ ratification process “so we can turn the aspirational Paris into the transforming climate action the world so urgently needs.”

China and the US, the world’s top two carbon emitters, delivered documents to Ban yesterday certifying that their countries have taken the necessary steps to join the Paris accord.

A total of 26 parties accounting for 39 percent of global emissions are signed up to the agreement that sets nation-by-nation targets for cutting carbon emissions.

The agreement still needs 29 parties representing at least 16 percent more of global emissions to enter into force.

The UN leader also praised China’s organization of this year’s G-20 summit and its focus on sustainable development.

He commended the G-20 for “moving from a short-term focus on managing global financing challenges to a long-term vision for sustainable development.”