US Secretary of State John Kerry took the case for climate change action to Indonesia yesterday.

In a speech in Jakarta, Mr Kerry argued that the cost of inaction would far outweigh the expense of reducing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to the Earth's rising temperatures.

Mr Kerry said that climate change was real and was "pushing the planet toward a point of no return, threatening not just the environment but the global economy and our way of life."

He highlighted ways Asian countries were particularly affected.

Just how much authority Mr Kerry's speech carries is debatable, given that the US and its 320 million people produce 12 times the greenhouse gases produced by Indonesia and its population of 250m.

The speech comes a day after Mr Kerry agreed with China to co-operate more closely on climate change.

Just after Mr Kerry left Beijing on Saturday, the US and China issued a joint statement saying they had agreed steps to curb greenhouse gases, including reducing vehicle emissions and improving energy efficiency of buildings.

China and the US emit the largest amounts of carbon dioxide and other gases that cause the atmosphere to trap solar heat and alter the climate.

The two governments will "contribute significantly to successful 2015 global efforts to meet this challenge," the statement said, citing "overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change and its worsening impacts."

Last year Beijing and Washington launched the US-China Climate Change Working Group.