The Anglican Church has told the Abbott government to change its approach to climate change, urging it to respect and base its policy on scientific evidence.

At a meeting in Adelaide, the church's Australian general synod passed a unanimous motion calling on the government to "respect and act upon relevant independent evidence-based scientific advice’’ on climate change.

Environment Minister Greg Hunt is congratulated by colleagues after Carbon Tax Repeal Bills pass the Lower House. The Anglican Church has called on the Abbott government to change its policies on climate change. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The 23 dioceses of the church said they were gravely concerned that Australia’s target to cut carbon dioxide emissions - five per cent below 2000 levels by 2020 - was well short of what was needed.

They said they deeply regretted that it was "future generations and other forms of life" that would "bear the real cost of our heavy dependence on carbon-based energy”.