The statement, signed by BHP Billiton CEO Andrew Mackenzie, AGL Energy CEO Andrew Vesey, Santos managing director David Knox, Wesfarmers MD Richard Goyder, GE regional boss Geoff Culbert, Unilever ANZ chairman Clive Stiff, Westpac MD Brian Hartzer and Mirvac MD Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz, says the businesses recognise that climate change is affecting both their sectors and the community.

“We recognise that we have a role to play and we want to play our part,” the statement reads.

“We represent a diverse group of companies from the energy, resources, retail, infrastructure, technology, consumer goods, property, services, banking and finance sectors. Together we employ more than 620,000 people across 175 countries.”

The eight companies emit about 12% of Australia’s national greenhouse gas emissions per annum.

“We have come together because we acknowledge that climate change will continue to have serious implications for our customers, the community and the economy,” the statement said.

The group of eight recognised there were risks to manage, and that by investing in Australia’s response to climate change would deliver significant economic, social and environmental benefits.

“We support the Australian government’s commitment to limit global warming to less than 2C above pre-industrial levels, alongside other nations within an international agreement,” the statement explains.

“Australia needs to play its fair part in global action. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concludes that to achieve this goal we must achieve zero net emissions of greenhouse gases before the end of the century.”

The statement says the sooner action can be agreed on, the easier and cheaper it will be tackle the issue, and supports the decoupling of economic and emissions growth.

“Our companies are reducing our emissions, investing in technology and innovation, preparing for physical impacts and working across industry and the community to build a strong global response to climate change,” it says.

The eight companies said Australia was a significant exporter of energy and also had plentiful clean energy resources, and a strategic interest in managing climate change.

“We pledge to continue to support the ongoing development and implementation of effective international frameworks and effective domestic policy responses,” it concludes.

BHP is a major global coal and gas exporter, while Wesfarmers operates two coal centres in Queensland and Western Australia.

Westpac is a major funder of resource projects in Australia, and is still associated with the controversial Carmichael coal project in Queensland.

Santos is one of Australia’s largest oil and gas producers, although in production and pollution terms it is far below Woodside Petroleum.

AGL is a major power producer, and in March was named as Australia’s worst polluter by the Australian Conservation Foundation.

The coal-fired power and resources sectors dominate the top 10 list compiled by the ACF using data from the Clean Energy Regulator.

The 10 worst polluters list was dominated by coal-fired power generators, and was responsible for one-third of Australia’s emissions.

AGL has started to phase out coal-fired power, and aims to do so by 2050.

Data from the Energy Supply Association shows wind and solar projects already identified could provide a quarter of Australia’s forecast electricity demand by 2023-24, and the Australian Labor Party has a policy of 50% renewables by 2050.

The statement sets out no individual actions for the companies, but comes two years after the Tony Abbott-led government scrapped the Carbon Tax, which had succeeded in reducing Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The dumped prime minister had intended to take an initial commitment to aim to reduce emissions by 26% on 2005 levels by 2030 to COP21.

The Climate Institute said that in order limit warming to less than 2C the maximum amount of pollution Australia can emit to 2050 is around 8-9 billion tonnes.

Abbott’s proposed target would see this limit breached in just 14 years’ time, by 2029.

It is unknown if new PM Malcom Turnbull, who was replaced by climate sceptic Abbott over an attempt to introduce an emissions trading scheme, will change the government’s climate change policy.