Classical limit of quantum gravity in an accelerating universe

A one-parameter deformation of Einstein-Hilbert gravity with an inverse Riemann curvature term is derived as the classical limit of quantum gravity compatible with an accelerating universe. This result is based on the investigation of semi-classical theories with sectional curvature bounds which are shown not to admit static spherically symmetric black holes if otherwise of phenomenological interest. We discuss the impact on the canonical quantization of gravity, and observe that worldsheet string theory is not affected.