Climate change: Australia pledges net zero emissions by 2050

Prime Minister Scott Morrison however said the plan would not include ending Australia's fossil fuel sectors.

The nation will also not set ambitious targets for 2030 - an objective of next month's COP26 global climate summit.

His plan has drawn criticism, with Murdoch University fire ecology expert Joe Fontaine saying it had "all the strength of a wet paper bag".

Australia has long dragged its heels on climate action. It is one of the dirtiest countries per head of population and a massive exporter of fossil fuels.

To halt the worst effects of climate change, nations have pledged to limit rising temperatures to 1.5C by 2050.

This requires cutting emissions by 45% by 2030 and reaching net-zero by 2050, scientists say. Over 100 nations have committed to carbon neutrality.

Net-zero means not adding to the number of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. It is achieved by a combination of cutting emissions as much as possible - mainly by reducing gases like carbon dioxide (CO2), which are released in the use of fossil fuels - and so-called offsetting measures, such as planting trees and carbon-capture technology.