THE fight against global warming has globe-trotting bureaucrats attending more than one international climate conference every week.

Department of Climate Change staff flew first class to 64 global climate change meetings in just 12 months at a cost of more than $4 million.

A Senate committee heard that 93 staff went to destinations including Greenland, the Maldives, Japan, the US and Bolivia.

The trips cost taxpayers more than $2.74 million in airfares and $1.6 million for accommodation and meals.

The Government's special envoy on climate change, Howard Bamsey, was the biggest spender, racking up $229,000 in travel costs during 2009-10.

He was followed by climate change ambassador Louise Hand, who spent $192,000 on travel over the same period.

The travel blitz emerged as the federal Government tries to forge a domestic consensus on climate change.

A new climate change committee has been established to examine ways to put a price on carbon emissions.

But the Opposition has refused to be represented and will oppose any emissions trading scheme or carbon tax.

Opposition senator Simon Birmingham said the Government was sending an army of advisers to international talks but making little progress.

"Taxpayers have a right to ask whether the huge sums being spent on seemingly never-ending climate change talks are giving them value for money or simply filling pages of dozens of public service passports," he said.

The Government yesterday appointed a critic of its axed emissions trading scheme to advise it on the introduction of a price on carbon.

Woodside boss Don Voelte, along with 18 other people, was appointed to a new business round table that will provide advice on the economic and business issues surrounding climate change.

Announcing the appointments, Treasurer Wayne Swan said the round table would ensure the views of the business community were front and centre on the issue of a carbon price.



- with AAP

Originally published as Global swarming for climate meetings