Our Climate Change Issues Minister has led a coalition of governments calling for subsidies for fossil fuels to be phased out.

The move from Tim Groser comes in the lead-up to a major climate conference in Paris.

New Zealand was joined by Costa Rica, Denmark, Ethiopia, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland in endorsing a statement to be delivered at the Paris conference.

It supports the elimination of inefficient subsidies to fossil fuels on environmental, economic and social grounds.

It's also been backed by the US and France which joined New Zealand in Washington to launch the statement.

Mr Groser says New Zealand is leading efforts to urge countries to reform, as this is the missing piece in the climate change jigsaw.