"Flaky" Abbott must back off RET

The Australian Greens say Tony Abbott is actively leading Australia down a dark and dangerous path to suffering from global warming.

"On the international stage our Prime Minister is seen as ‘flaky'," said Greens Leader Christine Milne.

"Respected British economist Lord Nicholas Stern has seen fit to say that this government's actions show it's not serious about climate change."

Another report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will be released on Sunday, set to highlight the need for a critical and large-scale switch away from fossil fuel energy by 2050.

"The IPCC is saying at least half the world's energy must come from low-carbon sources, but Mr Abbott is doing everything he can to kill off investment and jobs in Australian renewables," said Senator Milne. "Worse, he's promoting new coal mines and gas wells.

"Mr Abbott's attack on the Renewable Energy Target is ideological stupidity.

"In foreshadowing a cut to the RET, the Abbott government has put at risk billions of dollars of investment in solar, wind and wave power.

"This government is running a protection racket for the coal and gas industries, artificially suppressing the growth of Australia's renewable energy sector.

"The Abbott government is reckless and short-sighted. They're prepared to destroy land and risk groundwater with a new BHP mine in NSW and a massive expansion of coal seam gas fracking, and it's community safety, agricultural productivity and food security that will suffer.

"Tony Abbott is a PM for 1950, not the 21st century. His failure to grasp the key threats to Australia's future makes him dangerous as well as flaky."