On Thursday, the Andrews government will launch a review of the state's climate change act, which could see an overhaul of the laws underpinning Victorian efforts to cut emissions and prepare for the impacts of global warming.

As part of that, the review will look at whether enshrining a state emissions reduction target in law is the best approach.

At last year's state election, Labor promised to review laws and programs "to commit to an achievable carbon emissions reduction target".

Environment Minister Lisa Neville confirmed a target would be adopted in line with that promise, and the review would help inform how to do this.

Victoria previously had a target to cut emissions by 20 per cent below 2000 levels by 2020.

In 2012 the Baillieu government dumped the target after a review it commissioned found "no compelling case" for keeping it, adding it would only mean that other states would need to do less in meeting the national emissions reduction goal.

The national target is to cut emissions by 5 per cent by 2020 from 2000 levels. The Abbott government is currently reviewing what targets Australia will adopt for after 2020.

The state government will also launch a second review in coming months, which Ms Neville said would focus on programs for cutting emissions across government. A separate review of climate change science as it relates to Victoria is also under way.

Ms Neville said consideration of a state-based target would also be influenced by what the federal government decides for post-2020. She said state governments had told Canberra it should not stand in the way of their increasing ambition on climate change.

Chief executive of Environment Victoria, Mark Wakeham​, said a target should be put into the laws, but it was also important to have legal measures to cut greenhouse gases.

The review will be carried out by lawyer Martijn Wilder; the head of think tank ClimateWorks, Anna Skarbek​; and environmental law professor, Rosemary Lyster. It will report by the end of the year.