ACT Brumbies player David Pocock was among hundreds of peaceful protesters who gathered at the Australian National University and joined a global movement calling for urgent action on climate change on Sunday.
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More than 1000 Canberrans took to the university lawns to show their dissatisfaction with the federal government's stance and to commit to stepping up their opposition to current policies.
They carried placards which urged political leaders to protect the Great Barrier Reef, divest from fossil fuels, fund clean energy and take a proactive position on climate change.
The Canberra demonstration coincided with events taking place in 160 countries during a 24-hour period for the People's Climate March.
The movement, thought to be one of the largest coordinated efforts to push for swift action on climate change, featured 2700 rallies, marches and protests in 160 countries.
The global protest action was planned ahead of a world leaders' climate summit at the United Nations in New York this week.
Ahead of the trip, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop refused to take inflated emissions reduction targets to the meeting.
Ms Bishop said she would instead reaffirm Australia's commitment to reduce emissions by 5 per cent on 2000 levels by 2020.
Speakers at Sunday's demonstration included Mr Pocock, who called for Australians to intensify their protest action over climate change. He said the global community would be judged on the state the earth was left in for future generations.
The Canberra event was aimed at highlighting three separate environment crusades, including the "Don't Risk the Reef" campaign to stop coal exports through the Great Barrier Reef.
It also shone a spotlight on the Leard Forest Blockade against the controversial Maules Creek coal mine, north of Gunnedah in NSW, and a divestment campaign which targeted investors with ties to the fossil fuel industry.
The crowd also heard from 92-year-old Kokoda veteran and activist Bill Ryan, who was arrested during a protest against the Maules Creek mine earlier this year.
350.org Canberra coordinator Josh Creaser, one of the organisers of the event, said many ACT voters felt their choices at the ballot box hadn't led to the direct and fast action needed to address climate change concerns.
He said were encouraged to attend workshops where they could learn more about the environmental concerns, ask questions, and make a commitment to take further protest action.
"Political leaders continue to fail us on this issue, so we've taken it into our own hands," he said.
