World leaders have addressed the COP21 climate change summit in Paris, expressing their desire for an agreement to be reached and outlined their own targets.
Taking to the world stage, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull aimed to put Australia back on the climate action radar.
He promised Australia would further commit to meeting international climate change reductions targets.
"Today I announce that Australia will ratify the second commitment period for the Kyoto Protocol. We firmly believe that it is innovation and technology which will enable us both to drive stronger economic growth and a cleaner environment," he told global leaders to applause.
'A major moment in Australian climate diplomacy'
The Kyoto Protocol states that global warming is man-made and that nations must commit to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. By ratifying it, Australia is now legally bound to meet its targets over the 2012-2020 period.
The United States did not ratify the original protocol (covering 2008-2012 period) and Canada withdrew from the treaty in 2013.
"Today we are signing the paramount, the fundamental, the central, international agreement out to 2020. We're joining, all up, about 54 other countries that are ratifying it," said the Prime Minister.
For Environment Minister Greg Hunt, it was a strong move in the right direction.
"We're really delighted," Mr Hunt told reporters in Paris. "This is a major moment in Australian climate diplomacy."
"It is a very, very powerful symbol to the world and of course this has historically been a topic of some issue."
'Australia's targets far too low'
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten accused the government of playing it safe.
"The whole point of this conference is to move beyond Kyoto," he said.
"We don't see Australia taking climate change as seriously as other nations are. We've seen that in Canada, they've changed the prime minister, and they've changed climate policies. In Australia, all we did was change our prime minister."
Under the Kyoto Protocol, Australia set a 2020 target of reducing emissions by 5 per cent on 2000 levels.
According to the Climate Council chief executive, Amanda McKenzie, Australia is already on track to achieve that commitment and it does not go far enough.
"The Climate Change Authority, Australia's most authorative body on climate change policy, has said that the target is far too low. It's out of step with the rest of the world and it's out of step with the science. So even if we are ratifying, the 5% target is too low."
Australia pledges $1 billion to help vulnerable nations
A key objectives of the climate talks is for developed countries to commit funding to help poorer nations mitigate and adapt to climate change.
Malcolm Turnbull's focus will be on our Pacific neighbours.
"Australia will contribute at least $1 billion over the next five years from our existing aid budget both to build climate resilience and reduce emissions."
But that aid funding will be redistributed from other areas.
For Deputy Greens leader, Senator Larissa Waters, Mr Turnbull's announcement was in contrast to the spirit of the Paris conference.
"It's a bit rich for Malcolm Turnbull to rip money out of the already diminished foreign aid budget, re-package it as climate finance and then claim it is a gesture of generosity."
Bill Shorten agreed.
"What we see today, is the government using accounting tricks, of shifting money around from within the aid budget."
Tech-savvy approach to climate solutions
Encouraged by a meeting with billionaire Bill Gates, who is in Paris backing technological solutions to climate change, Mr Turnbull also announced funding towards innovation research and development, with the government committing $100 million over coming years.
"Adaption to the impacts of climate change is equally important and there too innovation is key," Prime Minister Turnbull said in his COP21 address.
"Today Australia joins with many other countries in supporting Mission Innovation which aims to double Australian investment in clean energy innovation over the next five years."
"We need something to actually drive these innovations to market it."
The World Wide Fund (WWF) Australia's Kellie Caught welcomed those steps and called for more action.
"We think we need this if we're going to achieve zero emmissions by 2050," she told SBS. "But we need additional policies as well, we need something to actually drive these innovations to market it."
Climate Council chief executive Amanda McKenzie said finding avenues to commercialise and ramp up the uptake of renewable energy technology would be key.
"I hope that the fund will also be investing in technology that's already available - we just need to get it underway. For instance solar, wind power, solar thermal technology. There's a whole range of technologies that are available today," she said.
"We're the sunniest country in the world, we're one of the windiest, we have great opportunities for renewable energy and if we've heard nothing else here at this conference it's that there's a huge move towards renewables. And Australia can stand to benefit from that."
Australia refuses to sign deal to end fossil fuel subsidies
The Prime Minister's decision not to phase out politically sensitive fossil fuel subsidies - led by New Zealand - has also been met with criticism, although opposition leader Bill Shorten said the Labor Party would not join other nations commiting to reform either.
Thirty nations and numerous businesses have so far signed the communique. But despite being vocal advocates, the New Zealand government has been accused of hypocrisy by the Climate Action Network International, a coalition of environmental NGOs.
The group said New Zealand's announcement of $70 million in potentially new climate change funding per year does not match the $84.9 million spent on fossil fuel subsidies in New Zealand in 2013. As a result, the group awarded its Fossil of the Day award to New Zealand.
“Even more galling than New Zealand’s inaction is its hypocrisy," New Zealand Youth Delegation spokesperson Zoe Lenzie-Smith said.
"The Prime Minister alleged that New Zealand is a leader on fossil fuel subsidy abolition, where in fact New Zealand’s fossil fuel production subsidies have increased seven-fold since Key’s election in 2008.”
