Greens leader Christine Milne says dire projections for Australia in the new CSIRO climate change report must be a wake-up call for the Abbott government and big business, which are harming people and missing huge economic opportunities by refusing to minimise global warming.

"If the natural world is in trouble, then so are we, and the Abbott government's climate denial and policy destruction has got us in serious trouble indeed," said Senator Milne.

Australian Greens leader Senator Christine Milne reinforced the connection between Campbell Newman and Tony Abbott in the eyes of the electorate, while in Brisbane today.   

“Tony Abbott and Campbell Newman have the same arrogant agenda that is anti-environment and makes life harder for everyday people,” Senator Milne said.

“Together they have inflicted more than 50 attacks on Queensland’s environment, including approving the world’s largest coal port in the Great Barrier Reef.

Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne says Tony Abbott has revealed himself as small-minded in both the climate debate and his view of women, after claiming his greatest achievement as the Minister for Women has been abolishing the carbon price, because "women are particularly focussed on the household budget."

"He might as well have said his greatest achievement was to help women buy a better iron so they can stay home and iron more often," said Senator Milne.

With news today that RET uncertainty has forced Meridian Energy Australia to abandon its Burdekin Hydro project in Northern Queensland, Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne, who is in Lima, says the Abbott government's duplicity has been exposed.

"Julie Bishop is over here in Lima bragging about ARENA and the Renewable Energy Target, but even as she speaks her government's attack on the RET is damaging jobs, investment, and efforts to cut pollution," said Senator Milne.

Greens Leader Christine Milne is at the UN climate talks in Lima and says there are serious questions being asked about Australia's role, as the high level negotiations get underway.

"Foreign Minister Bishop is suggesting the solutions to global warming are not the responsibility of high per-capita emitting countries, but that claim will fail to impress anyone. Australia is pushing fossil fuel pollution as hard and fast as it can with its coal exports," said Senator Milne.