The Greens are calling on Australians to demand better from major political parties obsessed with propping up fossil fuels, as nations prepare to sign off the Paris climate deal.
Environment Minister Greg Hunt will join representatives from 150 countries in New York on Friday (local time) to officially sign the legally binding agreement struck last December.
Australia was one of 196 parties to agree at the United Nations conference to limit global warming by at least two degrees and scale up efforts to slash carbon pollution over time.
But environment groups say the federal government is showing no signs of pulling its weight.
Climate Institute chief executive John Connor said Australia would head to New York with policies that increased, not slashed, the nation's emissions.
"Australia has to increase its ambition," he said.
Recent research by energy market analysts Reputex shows Australia's emissions would continue to rise beyond 2030 under the Turnbull government's policies.
That's despite Australia's 2020 reduction target of 5 per cent, and the Turnbull government's planned goal of 26 to 28 per cent cut by 2030.
Environment Minister Greg Hunt claimed victory last year, declaring Australia had already met its 2020 abatement task - largely due to accounting measures.
The Greens say the major parties' efforts aren't good enough and are urging Australians to vote for parties willing to implement policies to achieve the Paris obligations.
"As it stands, Australia's domestic legislation will fail to give practical effect to the Paris Agreement," Greens leader Richard Di Natale said.
Labor is consulting on a 2030 emissions reduction target of 45 per cent by 2030 and wants the nation to run on 50 per cent clean energy by the same year.
However, the party is yet to release the details of its promised emissions trading scheme.
The Turnbull government will review in 2017 its heavily criticised direct action policy, which pays polluters not to pollute.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull - while sitting on the back bench - once described the policy as "bull****" but has since thrown his weight behind it.
Last year the government tried to slash the Renewable Energy Target from 41,000 gigawatt hours by 2020 to 27,000 but landed on a compromise with Labor on 33,000.
Analysis by the Climate Institute earlier this month found the government would need to introduce a suite of measures including a carbon price to meet Australia's Paris obligations.
The package would also need a phase out program for coal-fired power stations, a strong renewable energy policy and a focus on energy efficiency.
"Australia urgently needs a plan to build an economy shifting towards net zero emissions," Mr Connor said.
Widespread bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef should be an "urgent wake up call" that something must be done, Greens senator Larissa Waters said.
Mr Hunt's office was contacted repeatedly for comment.
