World leaders in tropical conservation science say Prime Minister Tony Abbott shouldn't have scrapped the carbon tax and his direct action plan won't work.
Almost 600 scientists and environmentalists from the Association of Tropical Biology and Conservation have penned a statement urging Australia to reinstate an emissions trading scheme.
"When we heard about some of these developments in Australia many of our members became very concerned and that concern was very grave," committee co-chair Professor Jose Fragoso told AAP.
"If Australia is going to continue to be part of the world and how it deals with serious environmental issues, like global climate change, this recent change has everyone worried."
Prof Fragoso, a senior biologist at Stanford University in California, says the Abbott government has dealt a double-blow to mitigating the impacts of climate change by reducing funding for research as well as abolishing the carbon tax.
He said as a wealthy country and one of the world leaders in science Australia was sending the wrong message to developing countries.
On Wednesday, the association released a statement at their annual conference which is being held this year in Cairns.
They're calling on the government to reconsider its stance on the carbon tax, adding that a mandatory emissions trading needed to be implemented and the proposed direction action plan would be ineffective.
They also want the renewable energy target retained and authorities to commit to enforcing a commonwealth law that prohibits the importation of illegally logged timber.
Powers to approve developments shouldn't be handed from the commonwealth to the states as this could potentially exacerbate the status of Australia's threatened species.
Major funding for the Environmental Defenders Office should be reinstated and attempts to remove the tax-deductible status of environmental groups should be abandoned, they said.
"Securing Australia's environmental heritage for its future citizens and the global community will be undermined without strong environmental legislation and leadership that empowers government agencies, communities and local environmental organisations to protect rainforests," the statement said.
"This requires sufficient funding for research that can advise the management of these sensitive areas, environmental progress in Australia will be hampered, and the inheritance of its future citizens compromised."
The Association of Tropical Biology and Conservation is the world's largest organisation dedicated to the study of tropical ecosystems with 589 members from 55 countries.
