Organised by leftist political movement Get Up, Greenpeace and Oxfam, protesters joined a chorus of thousands in Sydney and Melbourne, wearing sunhats, zinc and red and orange, to symbolise climate change.

Despite delivering a 100-signature petition to federal member for Riverina Michael McCormack's office at the end of the march, Greens activist Ray Goodlass said he didn't believe the message on climate change was political.

"I think the message on climate change has been heavily politicised by players in federal politics ... It was capitalised on as a way of demonising the Gillard government, but it is in itself, not political and shouldn't be," Mr Goodlass said.

At 11am, protesters marched from Station Place to Mr McCormack's Fitzmaurice Street office, in-step with events happening in more than 60 other regional locations nationwide.

Protester Beryl Francis said while she thought economic issues entered mainstream conversations "significantly more" than environmental concerns, big polluters needed to be challenged.

"Big business has done a good job of labelling people who care about the environment 'tree huggers'," she said.

"But the environment needs to be looked after, not necessarily for us, but for our children and their children."

The march comes at a time when Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said he will not increase the 5 per cent target set for reducing greenhouse gases by 2020.

Yesterday, Mr McCormack said he would be replying to the chief petitioner, but reinstated the need for government to balance economic and environmental elements of the argument.

"We want to enhance the environment without crippling business and imposing high costs on families," Mr McCormack said.