As the US and China join the overwhelming number of scientists who believe climate change requires an urgent response, it's time for the Prime Minister to acknowledge he got it wrong, writes John Hewson.

Tony Abbott's intransigence on climate change, stating emphatically that he will not join significant global leaders in seeking to accelerate the global response to the challenge, has echoes of John Howard's refusal to say "sorry" to Indigenous Australians.

Howard rarely admitted to making mistakes, and he was sorry for very little, during his political career. Most conspicuously, despite the moral imperative, and mounting evidence of its significance to the process of reconciliation, he consistently refused to make a national apology to our Aboriginal people.

Having initially essentially ruled it out, in little more than an off the cuff response, he then dug in on the issue, despite ministerial and cabinet pressure to reverse his stand, stubbornly maintaining his defence of the indefensible, rather than admit that he had made a mistake.

The more he was questioned about an apology, the more resolute he came in his opposition to making one. It is not unfair to say he became obsessed, ignoring all evidence and advice.

At his end, this was a fundamental, and important, differentiator between himself and Rudd, and a key factor contributing to his loss of government in 2007.

This was especially so when combined with his similar intransigence in relation to the ratification/signing of the Kyoto Protocol - these are two classic examples of political "pig-headedness" at the expense of the national interest.

I am sure Abbott has convinced himself, and enough of his team, that his commitment to abolish the carbon tax was fundamental to his winning the last election. He is certainly now claiming this as one of the early victories of his Government.

But he would be kidding himself, both in terms of its significance to his election and its status as a "victory" in terms of our national interest.

I seriously doubt that his promise to abolish the carbon tax was anywhere near as important as the basic desire of the electorate to simply throw out the Rudd/Gillard/Rudd Government, one of the worst in our history.

Moreover, if that ever was the case, the electorate now recognises that Abbott's fear campaign as to the likely consequences of the carbon tax was a gross over-exaggeration, especially now as voters search for the $500+ benefit promised to flow from its abolition.

Abbott is now clearly on the wrong side of the climate issue. Some 97 per cent of peer-assessed climate scientists say he is, as do a significant number of world leaders, led by the US and China, that are working to ensure that there is a significant global agreement on emissions reductions by the end of next year.

The tragedy is that back in 2007 Australia had the domestic community support that could have seen us lead the world on this issue and, in doing so, reap the considerable benefits in terms of prestige, investment, growth, jobs, and emissions reductions.

But, just like Howard, who Abbott likes to refer to as probably the best conviction politician he has known, Abbott too is digging in, ignoring all rational argument and mounting evidence, and, most importantly, failing to recognise the inherent forces in this that could ensure his ultimate demise.

Historians often say that the one lesson of history is that we don't learn from history. Let's hope Abbott proves them wrong, to the considerable benefit of our national interest.

John Hewson is Professor in the Crawford School ANU and former leader of the Liberal Party and the federal opposition. View his full profile here.