Federal Opposition leader Tony Abbott has denied he is sceptical about climate change, spruiking himself as an environmentalist during a recent visit to Warner.

Inspecting a solar grid installation at a home at a new housing estate last Wednesday, Mr Abbott also insisted his party could offer better climate change solutions than the Government’s Emissions Trading Scheme.

“I think that I have very good green credentials … I’ve always regarded myself as an environmentalist,” Mr Abbott said. “The environment is always an issue and should always be an issue and I think climate change is real.”

However, Mr Abbott then noted: “there’s a lot of argument over the science (of climate change) – a lot of the claims have counter claims associated with them.”

He also labelled the gathering of world leaders at a climate change summit in Copenhagen this month as a publicity stunt.

“I think Copenhagen is going to turn into a PR stunt at best and I just think what we’re going to get out of Copenhagen is a lot of words and not much action, which is typical of (Prime Minister) Kevin Rudd,” Mr Abbott said.

“I hate to think of the carbon footprint of the people who go there. They are certainly making a very substantial contribution to their own emissions.

“I just wish that Mr Rudd was less obsessed with cutting a fine figure at Copenhagen and more interested in direct action to improve the environment.”

Mr Abbott said Mr Rudd’s Emissions Trading Scheme was a “whopping great new tax masquerading as a green measure”.

He said the Liberal Party’s environmental policy would involve “direct action to improve the environment”, including “incentives at both household and enterprise levels”.

“What we need to do is make sure we take effective action against it (climate change), not action that will damage our economy but not actually improve the environment,” Mr Abbott said.

“We want to do what we can to directly improve the environment and not whack on this great big whopping new tax and pretend that it’s an environmental measure.”

Mr Abbott said while solar panels were “a good example of practical action to improve the environment,” he would not say whether solar rebates would be part of his party policy.

Darren Vardy, whose home played host to Mr Abbott, said rebate schemes for energy saving devices such as his solar panel system had been “very beneficial”.

“Everyone’s got to do their little part to help the environment,” Mr Vardy said.

“Our house is pretty energy efficient, we use energy efficient lighting, insulation and appliances, and we’ve got a heat pump as well as solar hot water.

“All those things help to reduce our carbon footprint. I think it (energy efficient living) has got to start at an individual level, you’ve got to make that decision that you want to help the environment yourself.

“If everyone does that we’ll go a long way to helping the overall environment.”

Mr Vardy said while many people had the welfare of the environment at heart, he believes most homeowners wouldn’t take up green energy options without financial incentives.

“I think people would struggle (to afford it) and there would be a few people who would do it because of the environmental factor, but the majority wouldn’t,” he said. “It (rebates) helps seal the deal.”

Mr Abbott visited the Vardy home with Member for Dickson Peter Dutton, who retained his role as Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing following a recent front bench reshuffle.