Australia's largest businesses have signalled they are expecting Australia to take a serious approach to emissions reduction at the looming United Nations climate change talks in Paris, to ensure an agreement is struck to keep global warming to less than 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels.
The corporate sector's call for an effective international agreement in Paris comes as debate over the Coalition's climate change policies has been at the centre of Labor's attempts to paint new Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull as no different from his predecessor on the issue. 
Mr Turnbull - who lost the Liberal leadership to Tony Abbott in 2009 over a deal he negotiated with the then Labor government to introduce an emissions trading scheme - has said the Coalition's existing, widely-criticised climate change policies are effective, and promised the Nationals he will not pursue major policy change in the area.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott announced last month Australia would pledge to cut its emissions by between 26 and 28 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030.
The diverse group of companies from the energy, resources, retail, infrastructure, technology, consumer goods, property, services, banking and finance sectors, say that between them they emit about 12 per cent of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions but "recognise that we have a role to play and we want to play our part".
The chief executives of AGL, BHP Billiton, GE, Mirvac, Santos, Unilever, Wesfarmers and Westpac have signed a joint statement which says they have come together "because we acknowledge that climate change will continue to have serious implications for our customers, the community and the economy".
"These are risks we need to manage. Investing in Australia's response to climate change will deliver significant economic, social and environmental benefits for us all."
The executives, say they support the "government's commitment to limit global warming to less than 2 degrees celsius above pre-industrial levels, alongside other nations within an international agreement".
"Australia needs to play its fair part in global action", say the signatories to the letter, who include BHP's Andrew Mackenzie, Wesfarmers' Richard Goyder and Westpac's Brian Hartzer.
The corporate chiefs, who also include AGL's Andrew Vesey, GE Australia's Geoff Culbert and Mirvac's Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz, are encouraging both sides of politics to take a more aggressive stance on climate change, but note they support the current "bipartisan objective that international negotiations in Paris deliver a positive outcome to put the world on the path to limiting global temperatures to less than 2 degrees celsius.
"We all acknowledge that achieving this will be challenging for Australia and all countries. But agreeing on a goal and a pathway to achieving this is critical and should not be delayed. The longer we wait, the harder it will be and the more it will cost us.
"Our companies are reducing our emissions, investing in technology and innovation, preparing for physical impacts and working across industry and the community to build a strong global response to climate change", says the statement, also signed by Santos' David Knox, and Unilever's Clive Stiff. "For business, this is about good board governance, prudent risk management and positioning competitively for the future. We will continue to invest in an effective business response. We remain committed to working with other companies, investors, community stakeholders and governments to support a successful outcome in Paris.
"We pledge to continue to support the ongoing development and implementation of effective international frameworks and effective domestic policy responses."