Speaking on the opening day of the Resource Management Law Association conference at the Dunedin Centre, Dr Wratt joined five others in leading a special interest group on climate change yesterday.
Co-convener of the special interest group Gael Ogilvie said members had an important responsibility to make the issues surrounding climate change clear and accessible.
If people did not understand the issues, there was a tendency for them remain unconvinced of the dangers of climate change, which in the long term could limit business investment.
Dr Wratt, who is also on the steering group of the intergovernmental panel on climate change, said arguments denying global warming often featured in the media, the most recent claiming temperatures were falling rather than rising.
All the data showed while temperatures variations were numerous, there was a continual upward trend, meaning those arguments could be "robustly rebutted", he said.
Research showed the climate was changing because of greenhouse gas emissions and would do so increasingly unless something was done.
New Zealand, like the rest of the world, needed to adapt to problems such as rising sea levels and heavier rainfall, but it was possible to mitigate their effects by reducing emissions and growing more trees.
The aim was to keep within 2degC of pre-industrial temperatures and reduce emissions by up to 85% by 2050, which could be done with technology and other options, he said.
"It's not hopeless."
Climate Change Minister David Parker and National's associate environment spokeswoman Jacqui Dean outlined their parties' priorities with regard to climate change.
Other speakers were Emissions Trading Group general manager David Brash and New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development chief executive Peter Neilson.
