Rudd calls for Australian Stern report

Federal Labor leader Kevin Rudd wants an Australian version of the Stern report, assessing the economic impact of inaction on climate change.

The ALP is holding a summit with business and union leaders, academics and conservationists to prepare its climate change policy for the coming election.

Speakers like the environmental adviser to Rio Tinto, Tom Burke, have warned politicians must act now.

"This is an issue on which we cannot afford policy failure," Mr Burke said.

"There is no rewind button on climate change."

Mr Rudd wants an Australian global warming audit, similar to the influential report recently prepared by economist Sir Nicholas Stern for the British Government.

"Treasury [should] commission a report on the economic and jobs impact on Australia if there is no policy change when it comes to dealing with climate change," he said.

Mr Rudd has also announced a shadow cabinet delegation to China to discuss clean coal technology.

The director of the Centre for International Security Studies, Alan Dupont, has told the summit governments must prepare for a massive number of environmental refugees, possibly as many as 150 million.

"Clearly, even if you halve that, a lot of people are going to be forced to move by sea-level rise, by desertification and so on," he said.

"This is going to have political implications. It's also going to put enormous pressure on developing states economically."

Coinciding with the summit, Prime Minister John Howard has announced he has written to the leaders of the 20 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries, telling them to expect climate change to be a key topic at September's APEC meeting in Sydney.

By doing so, Mr Howard says Australia is showing strong leadership on the issue of global warming.

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