As of Monday afternoon, the e-petition had more than 160,000 signatures, after gaining traction on social media.

It's the highest number of signatures for an online petition to parliament.

"The overwhelming majority of climate scientists around the world have concluded that the climate is changing at unprecedented rates due to anthropogenic causes," it says.

"The result of these changes will be catastrophic for future generations and so we must act now to minimise both human and environmental destruction.

"We therefore ask the House to immediately act and declare a climate emergency in Australia. And introduce legislation that will with immediacy and haste reduce the causes of anthropogenic climate change."

Australians have until October 16 to sign the climate emergency e-petition, when its four-week time limit expires.

Any Australian who is not a member of parliament can lodge a petition to federal parliament's lower house.

All petitions that comply with a list of formalities are then presented to parliament by the lower house's petitions committee, which is chaired by Queensland coalition MP Llew O'Brien.

The petition does not compel the government to act, but the chamber can debate the topic after it has been presented.

Australian Associated Press