Bill Shorten has not denied telling a prominent environmentalist that as prime minister he would revoke the Adani coal mine's licence, should it be granted under the current government.

But the Opposition Leader said on Monday that he would not "put Australia up for sovereign risk and have taxpayers exposed to billions of dollars in compensation."

During a rare appearance on the ABC's 7.30 Mr Shorten thrice refused to deny that he'd told environmentalist Geoff Cousins that he would withdraw the licence if granted under the current government.

"I'm not going to expose this country to legal compensation claims by a project that I don't think is going to go ahead," he said.