Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen has used the release of a new United Nations report to push for the urgent passage of the safeguard mechanism.
As negotiations continue over the future of the mechanism in parliament, the UN report warns Australia and other developed countries to achieve net-zero emissions a decade earlier than promised.
The UN's Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says "warp speed" action is needed for further climate action and to limit warning to 1.5C.
The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report says the world has a last chance to make meaningful cuts to emissions.
Mr Bowen said on Tuesday the report was an urgent reminder of the need for climate action, which the safeguard mechanism was part of.
"If passed, our safeguard reforms will come into effect in just 101 days from now. And with only 82 months left before 2030 - it is critical that we seize every possible day of the remaining decade to drive down emissions," he said.
"Ten years of denial and delay has increased the threat of climate change to our health, environment, economy and national security.
"The government is acting rapidly to urgently turn this around."
The safeguard mechanism would apply to the country's 215 biggest emitters and aim to reduce emissions by 205 million tonnes by 2030.
The coalition will oppose the safeguard, meaning the government will need the support of the Greens and two other crossbenchers to pass.
A Greens call to stop opening new coal and gas projects has been ruled out by Mr Bowen.
But Greens leader Adam Bandt says Labor's vote went backwards at the last election while votes for his party and independents went up because Australians want meaningful action on climate change.
"We still have not heard a convincing explanation from the government about why they want to keep opening up coal and gas lines, we are still in discussions ... (and) we will look at all solutions," he told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.
Mr Bandt said the Greens understood they would not get everything they wanted but the government needed to also be flexible on its position.
"We've put an offer on the table and, as we were very clear from the beginning, it was an offer and it wasn't an ultimatum," he said.
However Mr Bowen said voting down the safeguard would eliminate any chance of meaningful action of climate change.
"There is a rapidly closing window for transformative climate action both here and around the world," he said in a joint statement with Assistant Climate Change Minister Jenny McAllister.
"This report makes it clear - this decade is the critical decade for action. And the parliament has a choice this fortnight to seize that opportunity or to squander it."
Independent MP Sophie Scamps said she was concerned the mechanism would do more to safeguard the future of the fossil fuel industry than it would to safeguard the future of the climate.
She proposed amendments which would impose stringent limits on new fossil fuel projects and guarantee real emissions cuts.
Her amendments would ensure new, expanded or extended fossil fuel projects must have net zero carbon emissions when they start and for their lifetime.
"Australians voted for real and urgent climate action at the last election," she said.
"The changes I am requesting will go some way to ensuring the safeguard mechanism does exactly what it should: reduce emissions from some of Australia's biggest polluters."
© AAP 2023