The Albanese government has declared it will end the "climate wars", pledging to take action through ambitious emission reduction targets.
Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen has held his first news conference after being sworn in alongside former NSW fire commissioner Greg Mullins, who is among ex-emergency management chiefs advocating for tougher climate policies.
Mr Bowen said his first meeting with the leaders on Thursday signalled warnings on climate change would no longer be ignored by the federal government, with the nation already having paid a hefty price.
They provided the Labor government with a six-point plan outlining issues they claim need to be "urgently" addressed.
A 75 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and increased funding for emergency services by scrapping fossil fuel subsidies are included in their priority list.
"The Albanese Labor government will seek to end the climate wars by real action on climate change, bringing Australians together and listening to Australians of all walks of life," Mr Bowen said.
"We have been elected with a mandate for real action on climate change, ambitious but achievable action, as outlined in the policies we sought a mandate for and will implement."
The government has committed to a 43 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030.
The defeated Morrison government pledged a 26-28 per cent reduction over the same period before the election, but was projecting the target would be beaten.
Mr Mullins, of Emergency Leaders for Climate Action, said it had been a "climate election".
The Morrison government failed to heed warnings the country was facing a "bushfire catastrophe" in early 2019, he said.
"We need a reset and the only mitigation in the future which will dial that down is to reduce emissions worldwide and Australia must do its part," he said.
Mr Mullins said Australians needed to brace for "major flips" in climate which would lead to more disasters.
"The next hazard will be massive grass fires because the red centre of Australia is now green. If we go brown, like in 1975, it will burn," he told reporters.
"We will have fires come back. We will have heatwaves, droughts, that is what climate change is doing to the world and we need to take drastic action."
Australia's hottest year in 2019 would become an average summer by 2040, and a cool season by 2060 unless action is taken, he added.
Mr Mullins backed stronger short-term targets, but said 43 per cent, was a "lot better" than up to 28 per cent.
He said a decade of action had been lost, and welcomed the new government's approach.
"It was pretty hard being outside the tent and knowing that a fire or flood was coming," Mr Mullins said.
