Prime Minister Scott Morrison is holding out against a United Nation's push to seek deeper cuts to greenhouse gas emissions as he makes the case for China to do more on the problem as a newly developed economy.

As world leaders gathered at a United Nations climate summit, Mr Morrison said he did not feel he needed to offer a view at this stage on any Australian commitment beyond 2030.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison delivers the keynote speech to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The Prime Minister, who chose not to attend the summit, instead argued for a sweeping change to rules that give China special treatment under the Paris agreement on climate change to increase the country's emissions by 2030.

"If the goal is to reduce emissions then you've obviously got to focus on the places which have the largest emissions – that just seems like common sense to me," Mr Morrison said in Chicago on Monday after delivering a speech on trade policy.