EXP: The world meets on climate action

THE WORLD MEETS ON CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION

* 150 world leaders have addressed the UN climate summit in Paris as 12 days of talks began to reach a global action agreement.

* US President Barack Obama urged his colleagues to reach a landmark deal to curb global warming before it dooms the planet - "one of the enemies we will be fighting at this conference is cynicism".

* Chinese President Xi Jinping demanded rich nations honour their commitment, dating back to 2009, to mobilise $US100 billion a year to tackle climate change in poorer countries.

* Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated his nation's determination to burn increasing amounts of coal and for developed counties to cut back their carbon emissions more sharply.

* Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said any Paris agreement must provide a common platform for action, the dynamism to build ambition and a robust and transparent reporting system.

* The PM promised to spend "at least" $1 billion helping vulnerable nations cope with climate change. But the money isn't new - it's coming out of our foreign aid budget.

* Australia also plans to double clean energy technology investment to $200 million by 2020 as part of a multi-country initiative known as Mission Innovation.

* We will also join a handful of developed nations to ratify the second phase of the Kyoto Protocol.

* Australia, unlike New Zealand and some 30 other countries, won't sign a communique calling for the ultimate end to fossil fuel subsidies. The decision wins support from Labor leader Bill Shorten.