UPDATED 5.27PM The Government says it will ratify the Paris Agreement on climate change it signed up to last year.

The international agreement commits countries to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions to 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.

Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett said they plan to ratify the agreement by the end of the year.

"Certainly that 2030 target of being 30 percent below 2005 levels is ambitious, and we won't get there by doing the status quo, so there has to be more action," she said.

Ms Bennett said this could see the current emissions trading scheme (ETS) being tweaked.

"Yes it will. So we've done phase one of it, and now we're working on phase two, and we'll be going out for submissions on that and looking at some of the lessons we can learn from the past, and making sure that we've got that in a place where we can actually reduce emissions."

Oxfam New Zealand has welcomed the Government's plans to ratify the agreement.

Executive Director Rachael Le Mesurier said it is really important the Government takes action on climate change.

She said climate change is here and the Government needs to make sure we do all we can to honour the agreement and reduce gas emissions.

But Greenpeace says the Government's announcement won't be worth anything if it doesn't make serious changes.

Greenpeace Climate Campaigner Kate Simcock said to meet the 2030 targets, a major change in Government policy will be needed.

"They're just doing absolutely nothing at the moment to reduce emissions, and our emissions are soaring. So they urgently need to stop building new roads, exploring oil and gas, putting taxing on solar, and intensive dairying."

So far 22 countries other than New Zealand have ratified the agreement.

It needs 55 countries to ratify it before it can take effect.