Australia has formally submitted its revised 2020 carbon pollution reduction target to the United Nations.

Following the most recent UN climate change negotiations, Australia agreed to coordinate a joint submission on behalf of a range of advanced economies pledging carbon pollution reduction targets.

Australia has consistently encouraged other advanced economies to announce their targets to reduce carbon pollution, to help build momentum towards the ambitious global agreement we all need.

Australia has submitted an updated version of this joint submission incorporating Australia's 25 per cent target if the world agrees to an ambitious global deal capable of stabilising levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at 450ppm CO2-eq or lower.

"We are putting our 25 per cent target on the table to try and drive progress in global negotiations," Senator Wong said.

"This demonstrates that we are serious about playing an active role in building an ambitious global outcome."

This new target reinforces the need to secure passage of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme this year, because Australia cannot responsibly sign up to targets without a means to deliver them.

"Australia needs to go to Copenhagen to try and secure a deal in the national interest with a plan to back our targets," Senator Wong said.

"What matters most as we try to secure a global deal is what we do at home. The basis for any global deal will be the domestic actions taken by individual nations.

"Failure to pass the CPRS legislation will send exactly the wrong signal to the negotiations. It will damage momentum, confidence and trust at the moment when it is needed most."

The submission will be available at www.climatechange.gov.au