Australia is refusing to take a plan for deeper cuts to greenhouse gas emissions to a special world leaders’ climate summit in New York next week.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott is not attending, despite planning to be in New York a day later for special UN talks on the escalating military situation in Iraq. Ms Bishop said she would reaffirm Australia’s commitment to reduce emissions by 5 per cent on 2000 levels by 2020.

The government will also use the New York meeting to drum up support for an Asia-Pacific rainforest summit in Sydney in November and to join a global declaration to phase down the use of hydrofluorocarbons, so-called “super greenhouse gases” used for refrigeration and air conditioning.

Ms Bishop said the proposal was “an opportunity for governments, business and NGOs to commit to protective steps” for rainforests and preserve their environmental, economic and social benefits.

Earlier this week Mr Ban said he expected Tuesday’s summit to lay the framework for putting a price on carbon.The Abbott government became the first country in the world in July to abolish a carbon price and its alternative direct action policy is in limbo without support in the Senate.

But the Foreign Minister said she would not lay down plans for targets beyond 2020.

“We’re looking at what other countries are doing.”But there is growing urgency from environmental groups for the government to define what its post-2020 target will be and how that will contribute to international efforts to keep global warming below two degrees, which scientists say would avoid the worst effects of climate change.

“The real tragedy in Australia is we’re focusing on 2020 and not on 2050, which is where international negotiations are headed 125 nation states will be attending.

Protecting  the interests of capital is far more important to this government than being a global citizen. Besides Murdoch is a climate skeptic and we still have a lot of dirty coal to sell the promises were made before the election.