Pressure is mounting on Labor to rule out adapting a plan by the Morrison government that would effectively halve Australia's emissions reduction effort under the Paris climate accord.

The government's policy, released this week, confirmed it intends to carry over surplus carbon credits generated during the current Kyoto Protocol period to count against Australia's 2030 Paris target. That would slash 367 million tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent from the 695 million tonnes reduction goal.

Mark Butler, Labor's Climate Change and Energy spokesman, speaking to reporters in Melbourne this week after the Morrison government announced its 'Climate Solutions Package'. Credit:David Crosling, AAP

The government's move - assuming it doesn't get blocked when the Paris rule book is finally settled - means Australia's target of cutting 2005-level emissions 26 per cent by 2030 would actually drop to about 12 per cent.

Labor's climate spokesman Mark Butler refused to reject the use of such credits, despite saying earlier this week that "de-carbonising our economy is a long-term obligation and dodging it by using accounting tricks is just shifting the obligation on to our children and our grandchildren".