Actor and former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger has got his sights set on vanquishing another peril: Climate change.
Speaking at the United Nations conference on climate change in Paris, known as COP21, Schwarzenegger said that the world had to unite to tackle climate change, rather than pointing the finger at the largest polluters, such as China.
Defending China, which is expected to come to an agreement over reducing greenhouse gas emissions at the COP21 conference, Schwarzenegger said that global demand for Chinese products effectively meant that the world had been "sending its pollution" to the country.
"The whole world is (asking) China to produce their products so therefore we're basically sending all the pollution to China and so now they have to deal with it and we all have to work together with them. It's not like finger-pointing (at China) or like 'them versus us,' it's more like 'how can we do this together?'," he said Sunday.
Talks at COP21 are focused on an agreement that could limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius or lower, with current international policies viewed as insufficient to do so. It is hoped that China and the U.S. in particular can come to an agreement on limiting emissions.
Read More Could COP 21 spell the end for coal?
A new global agreement on climate change came a step closer on Saturday as negotiators at the Paris summit produced a draft text of an agreement for energy ministers to finalize this week before the conference finishes at the end of the week.
Schwarzenegger said governments needed to change the message on climate change to make it more immediate and relevant.
"I'm a big believer in the message and that we have to re-do our message. Talking about something that's going to happen in 20 years' time is not going to sink in the same way as when you talk about today."
Green giant?
Schwarzenegger rose to fame in the eighties as a film star. Known for his bodybuilder physique, "Arnie" was the lead in several blockbuster action hero movies including "Terminator", "Predator", "True Lies" and "Total Recall". Schwarzenegger made the surprising move into politics in the early 2000s and was elected as governor of California in 2003, completing his second term as governor in 2011.
During his time in office, Schwarzenegger implementing climate-friendly policies in the state, such as a cap on greenhouse gas emissions. He also signed a bill prohibiting large utilities and corporations in California from making long-term contracts with suppliers who do not meet the state's greenhouse gas emission standards.
Read More The bluffer's guide to the Paris climate talks
In 2005, Schwarzenegger also issued an executive order calling for the state to reduce greenhouse gases to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.
Mobbed by fans in Paris, Schwarzenegger was the star of COP21 at the weekend. He has a serious agenda however and the Republican teamed up with the current Governor of California, Democrat Jerry Brown, on Sunday to seek action on climate change.
"It's important for people to know that Republicans can work with Democrats and vice versa," Brown said at a joint press conference, according to the LA Times. "That is a very important message for the international community, that they should not look at [climate change] in a political way," Schwarzenegger added.
- By CNBC's Holly Ellyatt, follow her on Twitter @HollyEllyatt. Follow us on Twitter: @CNBCWorld
