Prime Minister Scott Morrison has suggested the government may bolster its carbon emission reduction efforts.

Mr Morrison has flagged a royal commission into Australia’s horror bushfire season, warning that a “new normal” will require a greater role for the commonwealth.

The Prime Minister has been slammed in Australian and international media for his perceived denial of a link between human-driven climate change and the potential for more severe bushfire seasons and events.

Mr Morrison said the government might “evolve” its policies, including emission reduction targets.

“In the years ahead we are going to continue to evolve our policy in this area to reduce emissions even further,” he said.

“We want to reduce emissions and do the best job we possibly can and get better and better and better at it. I want to do that with a balanced policy which recognises Australia’s broader national economic interests and social interest.”

While he would not give a clear statement on potential changes in the government’s 2030 targets, Mr Morrison said the “challenging task” requires a balanced approach.

“In meeting and beating those targets, we will always be taking up the opportunities of measures that enable us to achieve lower emissions, but lower emissions at the same time as we stay true to the policy I took to the last election,” he said.

Mr Morrison said there is “no dispute” that climate change creates “longer, hotter, dryer, summer seasons”.

“The fact is, over the next 10 years and beyond we are going to be living in a very different climate and we need to improve our resilience to that,” he said.