As promised, 46th US President Joe Biden signed Wednesday 15 executive actions and 2 agency actions hours after his inauguration to launch his administration, including the landmark decision to rejoin the Paris climate accord.

“This is going to be the first of many engagements we’re going to have in here,” Biden told reporters, appearing for the first time in the Oval Office, CNN reported.

“I thought with the state of the nation today there’s no time to waste. Get to work immediately.”

Biden signed an order making the wearing of masks mandatory on federal property, one meant to ensure racial equality and another rejoining the Paris climate accord.

Moreover, he signed orders keeping the United States in the World Health Organization, ending the ban on entries from mostly Muslim-majority countries, bolstering environmental protections and strengthening the fight against COVID-19.

Also among the directives was a halt to construction of the wall on the US-Mexico border, and efforts to expand diversity and equality for minority groups in the federal government.

The orders were aimed at reversing decisions by his predecessor Donald Trump, reversing the process of leaving the World Health Organization, ending the ban on entries from mostly Muslim-majority countries, bolstering environmental protections and strengthening the fight against COVID-19.

“As we indicated earlier we’re going to be signing a number of executive orders over the next several days to week,” Biden said.

“Some of the executive actions that I’m going to be signing today are going to help change the course of the COVID crisis and combat climate change in ways we haven’t done so far,” he went on, CNN reported.

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Experts say that rejoining Paris climate accord, which the United States joined Barack Obama was president and Biden vice president, is a significant step by the Biden administration to reverse the climate policies of the last four years.

The move was lauded by other world leaders.

“Welcome back,” said French President Emmanuel Macron.

“We are together. We will be stronger to face the challenges of our time. Stronger to build our future. Stronger to protect our planet.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was also quick to welcome the move, saying it was a large step for the leading producers of global carbon pollution.

“But there is a very long way to go,” he said in a statement.

“We look forward to the leadership of United States in accelerating global efforts towards net-zero” emissions, he said, calling for “ambitious” new targets for 2030 and expanded climate finance, AFP reported.

Biden called the significant moves “starting points” that fulfilled his promises during the campaign.

“I think some of the things we’re going to be doing are going to be bold and vital and there’s no time to start like today,” he said.

“There’s a long way to go. These are just executive actions,” he went on. “But we’re going to need legislation for a lot of these we’re going to do.”