Australia has used a landmark summit on the global nature crisis to argue against an in-danger listing for the Great Barrier Reef.
Engaging with UNESCO officials at the COP15 conference in Canada, Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has made it known no one needs to tell Australia why reef protection is necessary.
"I've spoken to UNESCO during this conference and made very clear we understand that globally, our oceans are threatened by climate change, our landscapes, our environment as a whole, is threatened by climate change," she said from Montreal.
"We don't see an argument for singling out the Great Barrier Reef for an in-danger listing because no one takes protecting the reef more seriously than we do, as Australians."
The government has vowed to fight moves to inscribe the reef on a list of World Heritage sites in danger, saying its unfair to single out one ecosystem when climate change is a universal threat.
But climate change was only one of the short comings cited by a UN mission that toured the reef in March, when the Morrison government was still in power.
It's report, delivered last month, said alongside inadequate climate action, not enough was being done to protect the reef from poor water quality, damaging fishing activities and other harms.
Ms Plibersek said she impressed on UNESCO officials that the new Labor government had enshrined more ambitious climate action in law.
"So we are prepared to legislate, we are prepared to invest to protect the reef.
"We don't need anyone to tell us its necessary to protect this most beautiful natural phenomenon."
The minister said Australia's commitment to protect 30 per cent of its land and oceans by 2030 must be echoed in the global pact, which is in the final phase of intense negotiations.
But she also said Australia would not be legislating that commitment at home because it's largely on track to get there.
"We've still got a way to achieve our target by 2030 but we are very hopeful we can do that."
An announcement of a new pact could come as soon as Tuesday morning, Australian time.
The latest draft lays out support for protecting 30 per cent of land and waters by 2030, and suggests restoring 30 per cent of degraded lands.
It also sets a crucial financial target of $US200 billion per year for conservation initiatives but demands less from wealthy countries than some developing states had wanted.
When asked how much Australia would contribute to help poorer nations meet targets Ms Plibersek said Australia had doubled financing for climate and nature.
"We are absolutely willing and able to work in partnership, particularly with our friends in the Pacific to make sure there is government investment in protecting and restoring nature," she said.
But she again said Australia couldn't afford to fund the huge task alone and that was also true for the rest of the world.
"So government investment is important, philanthropic investment is important, private sector investment is important," she said.
