ECONOMIST Ross Garnaut will publish seven papers updating his 2008 climate-change report as part of his advice to Prime Minister Julia Gillard's multi-party climate committee.
To be released publicly over the next six months, the mini-reports will cover the latest climate science, the current state of global greenhouse gas emissions, changes in the cost of adopting low-emissions technology and progress on an international climate treaty.
Others will update the role of agriculture and energy efficiency. The reports will be brought together in an update of Professor Garnaut's original report by May.
He signalled he would make a priority of explaining the extent to which other countries were introducing policies to move to a cleaner future - particularly China.
Meanwhile, the government has jumped on comments by Tony Abbott canvassing a carbon tax before he became Opposition Leader.
When criticising the proposed emissions trading scheme last year, he said: ''If you want to put a price on carbon why not just do it with a simple tax? Why not ask motorists to pay more? Why not ask electricity consumers to pay more?''
ADAM MORTON, MICHELLE GRATTAN