Qld billboard petition signed by 40,000

More than 40,000 people have signed a petition calling for the Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) to reverse a decision to ban a climate change billboard ahead of the G20 summit.

The billboard, featuring South Australian farmer David Bruer, called for climate change to feature high on the agenda of the G20 meeting in Brisbane.

BAC rejected the advertisement, created as part of a campaign known as #onmyagenda and commissioned by green groups, because it was deemed too political.

Mr Bruer, who lost $25,000 worth of grapes in one day last year when temperatures reached 46C at his vineyard, handed the petition to BAC's Jo Day on Tuesday.

"Climate change is making it a lot harder for many farmers to make a living," he said.

"But I really fear for the next generations. The world's children and grandchildren will pay dearly if we don't take stronger action."

The chief executive of conservation group WWF, Dermot O'Gorman, said climate change could cost trillions of dollars in damage and lost revenue unless it was addressed.

"There's still time for world leaders to take note and prioritise discussion on climate change at the Brisbane G20," he said.

G20 countries were responsible for 80 per cent of global emissions, Mr O'Gorman said.

He urged supporters of the #onmyagenda campaign to use social media to ask world leaders to include climate change as a stand-alone item on the G20 agenda.

BAC directed questions to a statement issued last week in which it defended its policy of rejecting politically-fuelled material.

"We believe the Airport shouldn't be used as a platform for partisan views, whether we agree with those views or not," the statement said.

The decision didn't mean BAC disagreed with the message behind the campaign, BAC said.

The corporation has previously denied the decision was linked to its chairman's position on the board of a coal mining company.