Yahoo TV

STORY: “I would rather be at school. My education is so important and that’s why I know it is urgent that we're here today because I am putting my education at risk to tell the government about this," said 16-year-old student Rataj Abdullah.

“I know young people across the country and across the world are extremely concerned that our futures are at risk,” said 17-year-old student Owen Magee.

Australia was for years an international laggard on efforts to prevent climate change but the recently elected Labor government has increased the target to reduce emissions to 43% by 2030, from up to 28% by 2030, after the party won power in May last year for the first time in almost nine years.