Widely seen as a climate laggard, Australia is one of the world's largest coal and gas exporters.

For the last eight years, its conservative government has resisted action to reduce emissions, routinely approving new coal projects and peddling skepticism about climate change.

Under domestic and international pressure, Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday announced a shift in approach and acknowledged the "world is changing".

Australians want policy that "does the right thing on climate change", he said, adding the phenomenon "is real, it's happening. We understand it and we recognize it."

Just how Australia will get to net zero by 2050 carbon emissions remains unclear, with the government refusing to release its modelling.

The plan would invest US$15 billion in low-emission technologies over the next decade, but it also leans heavily on unproven technologies and carbon offsets, which critics deride as an accounting gimmick.

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