Rajendra Pachauri, chairperson of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), on Wednesday commended the agreement between China and the United States on cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

Pachauri described the climate agreement between the United States and China as "a big step forward" and "a very encouraging development."

He said that he believes the deal between the two great powers can have a major impact on negotiations leading up to the climate summit in Paris next year.

"I think the rest of the world will take similar steps," Pachauri told Norwegian news agency NTB.

However, extensive cuts in emissions are needed if global warming is to be limited to 2 degrees Celsius, Pachauri said. In this sense, the goals of the United States and China are just "a beginning," he added. Endit