Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen has taken to personally urging a small but influential group of climate activists to avoid “squandering” the opportunity to ensure Australia cuts emissions over the “most critical decade for climate action” as the government heaps pressure on the Greens to back safeguard mechanism changes.

The flurry of lobbying this week, including a session late on Tuesday between the minister and the heads of the Australian Conservation Foundation and the World Wildlife Fund, come as tensions rise over whether the crossbench will back Mr Bowen’s cornerstone heavy emissions trading legislation.