The Climate Adaptation Futures Conference, to be held in Australia this week, will explore the contribution of adaptation science to planning and policy making in the face of uncertainty about climate change and its impacts.

The director of the CSIRO's (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) Climate Adaptation Flagship Dr Andrew Ash said on Monday scientists hoped the event would bring climate adaptation issues into sharper focus.

"It's more about some of the new approaches we need in planning and technology responses to better start managing the impacts of climate change," he said.

"But I think out of that will emerge some fairly key issues that hopefully will start to influence policy in the way climate adaptation responses are crafted," he added.

The conference, co-hosted by the CSIRO and Griffith University at the Gold Coast Convention Center, runs from Tuesday until Thursday.

Australian Climate Change Minister Penny Wong, who will on Tuesday welcome almost 1,000 delegates from around the world, is likely to face some tough questions about what the new government will do.

Speakers will include the executive director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), Achim Steiner, and UNEP Chief Scientist Joseph Alcamo.

The conference will also feature leading scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, set up by the United Nations Environment Program and the World Meteorological Organization to provide the world with a clear scientific view on climate change and its consequences.

Leading Australian scientists, including former Australian of the Year Tim Flannery, will also address the conference.