Labor's 2030 climate targets 'a lot better' but need work, ex-fire chiefs say

It comes as the freshly-elected government has continued to rule out banning fossil fuel projects despite committing to a 43 per cent emissions reduction target by 2030 on 2005 levels.

Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen was joined by former NSW Fire and Rescue commissioner Greg Mullins on Thursday morning following a meeting to discuss the new government's strategy on disaster management and preparedness.

Mr Mullins, who founded the Emergency Leaders for Climate Action group, said the meeting was a "stark contrast" to earlier years, when warnings about a looming bushfire catastrophe were ignored.

"We're very pleased that we've been brought into the tent," Mr Mullins said at Parliament House.

"It was pretty hard being outside the tent and knowing that a fire or flood was coming."

Labor's promised 43 per cent target falls well short of the 75 per cent target the emergency leaders are pleading for.

Mr Bowen defended the lower target as being the "modelled impact" of Labor's policies, adding it was already ambitious to begin with in 2022.

Labor had 92 months to achieve it, he added.

"We have been elected with a mandate for real action on climate change - ambitious but achievable action," Mr Bowen said.

The former fire chief acknowledged the target was lower than what the science was indicating but said the group will "work on that" with the government.

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Mr Mullins said it was already a drastic improvement on the former Coalition's promises of 26-to-28 per cent reduction target by the decade's end.

"The science is saying that a much stronger target is needed, but I must say 43 per cent is a lot better than 26-to-28 per cent," he said.

"I think the minister did say today that if you 'meet and beat' the 43 per cent, there's a trophy at the end of it for you.

"And that's the safety of our kids and grandkids."