While a spokesman for Mr Abbott earlier this month said the Coalition leader would not meet Lord Monckton, Mr Abbott changed his mind and accepted a short visit from the British climate sceptic yesterday.

Mr Abbott said yesterday it was the job of the Opposition Leader to meet people with a significant argument to make and that he was not an ''intellectual snob''.

''I think that you actually come up with better policy if you're prepared to have a discussion not just with people who say yes sir, yes sir, three bags full, sir.''

Lord Monckton has been a globally divisive figure. He has previously stated that after the fall of the Berlin Wall communists adopted ''climate change'' as a new flag to rally around on the way to one world government.

Mr Abbott added the he had also approached the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists - campaigners for stronger climate policies and other environmental issues - for a meeting.

Peter Cosier, a member of the Wentworth Group, yesterday confirmed that Mr Abbott's office had approached him for a meeting and he would be happy to talk to anyone.

Speaking to The Age before his speech to the National Press Club in Canberra yesterday, Lord Monckton said he had noted that Mr Abbott was very engaged by climate issues.

Lord Monckton said he told Mr Abbott his $3.2 billion policy to reduce carbon emissions by 5 per cent was unnecessary because carbon affected the atmosphere only one-seventh of what the United Nations said it did.

But Lord Monckton added that Mr Abbott's policies to encourage tree planting and to help industry save energy would help address ''genuine'' environmental problems.

''It is indeed better to have a policy which nods to the issue of climate change for those who still believe, and there are some diehards who still believe, that fixes some of the genuine environment issues that are a lot cheaper than the enormous amounts diverted to this ridiculous climate thing,'' Lord Monckton said.

Later Monckton told the National Press Club that human-emitted carbon emissions were not warming the planet, that increased sun activity accounted for recent higher temperatures, and that the draft negotiating text at December UN climate talks had proposed setting up a world government.

Lord Monckton continues his speaking tour in Adelaide later this week and finishes his tour in Perth next Monday.