The nuts and bolts of the Paris Climate Accord have been agreed upon on in Poland.
Nearly 200 countries have agreed upon a set of rules to help limit global temperature rises to below two degrees.
Climate Change Minister James Shaw told Mike Yardley the meeting exceeded expectations.
"This is the rule book for saving the world, that we were creating over the last week, well it's actually got to happen now and the countries have to get on with the job."
He said the main thing to come from this agreement is transparency in reporting.Â
"For New Zealand that was the most important thing we wanted out of this was to make sure everybody has it. It's actually a better set of rules than we thought we would get."
He said China in particular has stepped up.
"They have kind of shifted their position over the years and I think basically they believe, now that the Paris agreement has been signed and as long as those rules apply to everyone, that yes they are up for it."
The agreement comes into force in 2020.
LISTEN ABOVE A JAMES SHAW SPEAKS WITH MIKE YARDLEYÂ
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