London: British naturalist David Attenborough said the "moment of crisis" had come in the fight against climate change, warning that governments' targets for decades in the future were not enough to save the planet.

He called on China in particular to reduce its carbon emissions, saying that he thought other countries would follow if China set a lead.

Noting the destruction being caused by Australia's current wave of bushfires, Attenborough criticised Canberra's approach to climate change, saying the government's support for coal mines showed the world it did not care about the environment.

"As I speak, south-east Australia is on fire. Why? Because the temperatures of the Earth are increasing," the 93-year-old told the BBC in an interview.