The Australian Greens believe US President Barack Obama has used his State of the Union address to issue a warning to Australia to better tackle climate change.
His message as they see it: step up or we'll make you.
In his annual address on Wednesday, Mr Obama told both houses of US Congress climate change poses the greatest threat to future generations.
"The Pentagon says that climate change poses immediate risks to our national security," he said.
"We should act like it."
Greens leader Christine Milne welcomed Mr Obama's stance as a "pledge to help us hold (Prime Minister) Tony Abbott to account".
"President Obama has issued a warning to Australia, promising to make other countries step up," Senator Milne told AAP.
"Tony Abbott's Australia is becoming a backwater on global warming policy and it's a tragedy for our economy, our health and our safety."
It's no secret Mr Obama is concerned about climate change.
While attending the G20 summit in Brisbane last year, the president told a room of students the Asia-Pacific was particularly at risk.
"The incredible natural glory of the Great Barrier Reef is threatened," he said last November.
In his penultimate State of the Union address, Mr Obama trumpeted his administration's action on climate change, highlighting a large increase in solar power and an historic emissions agreement with China.
Senator Milne said Mr Abbott's action on climate change has been less than impressive.
"We need to do more about global warming, not less," she said.
But Foreign Minister Julie Bishop believes the international community "appreciates" Australia's latest plan to tackle climate change, which she says is commensurate with US action.
The parliament last year replaced Labor's carbon tax with the government's $2.55 billion direct action plan which encourages polluters to volunteer to cut emissions.
"We have a very good story to tell in our actions to deal with climate change," Ms Bishop told reporters in Washington following Mr Obama's address.
Australia is on track to meet its five per cent emissions reduction target by 2020, she said.
Mr Obama said he hoped the world would "finally reach an agreement" to tackle climate change this year, when all countries will have to decide on post-2020 emission reduction targets.
Share
