Business, the opposition and green groups all criticised the government's apparent indecision on how to deal with global warming.

The opposition used the moment to subtly suggest a carbon emissions trading scheme might not even be the right response, such a policy re-think would be a radical departure from the accepted wisdom on climate policy.

Opposition climate change spokesman Greg Hunt also took a shot at Labor, claiming the real reason behind the government's indecision was internal politics.

"Wayne Swan and Martin Ferguson are opposed to their own emissions trading scheme," Mr Hunt told reporters in Sydney.

"They've heard the evidence from firms that emissions will go to China and India and global emissions will go up, and they've heard the evidence that Australian jobs will go to China and India.

Peak business body Australian Industry Group said there was no policy outside emissions trading worth considering.

Group chief executive Heather Ridout ruled out support for a carbon tax, saying its "goose had been cooked".

At the opposite end of the political spectrum Greenpeace told the government its trading plan was "catastrophically wrong".

Greenpeace says the scheme in its present form will reward the biggest polluters with billions of dollars in handouts and still allow greenhouse emissions to increase.

"The government has got their scheme so catastrophically wrong that it is no wonder they don't want any scrutiny of it," Climate Campaign Coordinator, Greenpeace, John Hepburn said.

None of the criticism phased Climate Change Minister Penny Wong who steadfastly repeated the government's commitment to introduce trading next year.

"We in the government are very clear about our policy," Senator Wong said.

"We have a plan and that is the carbon pollution reduction scheme to enable Australia over time to reduce its emissions.

"You don't achieve targets simply by setting them."