Australia has ratified a landmark global deal on climate change action but questions hover over its future with Donald Trump assuming the US presidency.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Thursday announced the federal government had ratified the agreement, which commits signatory countries to work towards limiting global warming to two degrees and set five-yearly targets for cutting emissions.
"Almost a year from the Paris conference, it is clear the agreement was a watershed, a turning point and the adoption of a comprehensive strategy has galvanised the international community and spurred on global action," he told reporters in Canberra.
The deal has already come into effect globally but Australia was delayed in finalising its agreement because of the July federal election.
More than 100 nations representing 70 per cent of the world's emissions and three-quarters of global GDP, have now ratified the deal.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg next week join United Nations climate change talks in Marrakech to help develop rules to guide the agreement's implementation.
Australia's ratification comes as Mr Trump's election win puts at threat global action on climate change.
Mr Trump has said he'll withdraw America from the Paris agreement and stop funding UN climate change programs.
That prompted Liberal MP Craig Kelly to post "Paris is cactus" on Facebook.
Labor seized on the comment during question time to query the government's commitment to climate change action.
Under the agreement's terms no country can back out until November 2020 at the earliest.
Even if America does pull out, Australia won't follow.
"When Australia makes a commitment to a global agreement, we follow through and that is exactly what we are doing," Mr Turnbull said.
Greens climate change spokesman Adam Bandt said if America did back out, countries like Australia would have to work even harder to cut emissions.
"Malcolm Turnbull needs to get on the phone to Donald Trump to try and talk him out of ripping it up," he told reporters.
The Climate Institute says Australia's ratification of the agreement sent an important global signal that the rest of the world would get on with implementing it regardless of what happened in the US.
"The Paris agreement is a long-term, durable agreement which would outlast any election cycle in the United States," deputy chief executive Erwin Jackson told AAP.
"It's critical that countries continue to implement it to build confidence globally in the transition to clean energy."
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