Swallow your pride on RET Abbott: Labor

Federal Labor is calling on Prime Minister Tony Abbott to swallow his pride and inject some certainty back into the renewable energy industry.

The government and opposition are at loggerheads over the renewable energy target, which mandates 20 per cent of all Australia's energy come from clean sources by 2020.

The legislated target of 41,000 gigawatt hours is predicted to exceed 20 per cent and the government wants it slashed to 32,000.

Labor has backed the clean energy industry's position of 33,500. That position is also supported by the Business Council of Australia, the Australian Industry Group and the Australian Aluminium Council.

The parties' RET offers have been inching closer for months but neither appears willing to budge on the latest numbers.

Opposition environment spokesman Mark Butler believes the offer "really is the final position we need".

"Everyone else is there," he told Sky News on Sunday.

"It just needs Tony Abbott to swallow his pride and admit he got it wrong last year when he attacked this industry and find a way to restore some confidence back."

However, Mr Butler refused to completely rule out further compromise.

The uncertainty has stopped investment and jeopardised jobs in the renewable energy sector, which believes a bipartisan target is vital to reinstate industry confidence.