There is no way around the fact that tackling climate change will cost businesses money, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says.
But he thinks business is ready to do its part to reduce greenhouse pollution.
The Business Council of Australia (BCA) sparked controversy recently when it warned that emissions trading would drive down profits and force some businesses to close.
The BCA's call for the scheme to be changed enraged conservationists and the union movement, who accused big business of dodging its responsibility on climate change.
Mr Rudd today said "reasonable people" would be able to work out a way forward.
"(But) it will never happen cost-free, it is not a cost-free business. Anyone who says that is misleading, and I don't intend to say that," he said.
He was prepared for a bit of "argy bargy" with the business community.
"I just regard that as part of this (process)," he told reporters.
Mr Rudd said business was ready to help tackle climate change.
"What I detect overall from the business community is actually something quite good.
None of them have said to me so far: `Oh by the way, we don't want to act on climate change'," he said.
"Roll the clock back a few years and it might have been the starting point."
The Australian Greens want to see a secret document which apparently puts forward options to give business an "easier cop".
According to media reports, the federal government has privately released a paper which canvasses alternative approaches to emissions trading, ahead of a meeting with business chiefs on Friday.
Greens senator Christine Milne called on Resources Minister Martin Ferguson, who allegedly is behind the document, to come clean.
"That document will show us, once and for all, what he's proposing as an easier cop for the big end of town and whether the minister knew about it," Senator Milne said.
She also took aim at the government over its looming decision on whether to approve a controversial $5.3 billion coal mine proposed for central Queensland.
The federal government could stop the development going ahead. It is yet to make a decision.
Climate Change Minister Penny Wong told the Senate that Environment Minister Peter Garrett received a referral from the company in July.
"And the minister has yet to make a determination on this proposal," she said.
The federal government also moved today to save itself from burying millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide in the wrong place.
The government made a mistake in amending laws to allow for carbon dioxide from power stations to be buried under the seabed.
By using the wrong way of calculating distance, the laws as they stand would be 200 metres out across the board, Resources Minister Martin Ferguson said.
"(This) would cause concern and uncertainty for industry if not corrected," Mr Ferguson told parliament today.
