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Making your life greener - one bite at a time.

AUSTRALIA is at the forefront of global action on climate change.

This week in Sydney, Alexander Downer and I are hosting a first-of-its-kind High Level Meeting on Forests and Climate, bringing together about 200 government representatives from more than 60 countries.

Frances Seymour, director of the Centre for International Forestry Research, congratulated the Australian Government for being the first to make a significant commitment to the climate and forests agenda, and for convening this conference.

Deforestation has been largely neglected by international efforts to combat climate change, but as a result of a small number of countries, including Australia, forest issues are moving to the top of the agenda.

The reason is as obvious as the need is urgent.

The combined impact of the Kyoto Protocol has been to reduce the growth in CO2 emissions by 1 per cent. Yet many climate scientists tell us we need to reduce global emissions by 50 per cent by mid-century.

Future technologies will help us reach this goal. But right here and right now, we can make a massive difference if we can reverse the rate of deforestation.

The High Level Meeting is helping us build a common vision in this area ahead of the climate-focused APEC leaders meeting in September and the next round of UN climate negotiations to be held in Bali in December.

Australia is lending new energy and a $200 million Global Initiative on Forests and Climate to reverse deforestation and by doing so, give the world the breathing space it needs until the technologies are able to deliver us abundant, zero or near zero emissions energy.

We will provide an initial $10 million to Indonesia to help develop a national framework to prevent deforestation and improve systems for monitoring forests and the management of forest and peat land fires, and contribute $11.7 million to the World Bank's Forest Carbon Partnership Facility which will help countries develop incentives for conserving forests and invest in sustainable forest management.

This action to reduce deforestation is just one part of a much bigger strategy developed by the Australian Government to help us reduce greenhouse emissions, both in Australia and around the world.

This week's meeting and the Global Initiative on Forests and Climate will help change the global landscape - both literally and figuratively.

* Malcolm Turnbull is Minister for the Environment.