Greens urge climate emergency declaration

The federal Greens will push for Australia to declare a national "climate emergency", following in the footsteps of the UK.

With Britain's parliament becoming the first in the world to make such a declaration, federal Greens leader Richard Di Natale says it's time to do the same at home.

"We've put forward proposals to the parliament already. We'll be doing that again when we return to the parliament," he told AAP on Saturday.

"We're calling on both the Liberal and the Labor party to support what the conservative party in the UK have now adopted."

Senator Di Natale says the push isn't a lost cause in Australia's political environment because "the pressure (to act) is building and it's building very fast".

"The major parties ignore the community at their own peril."

The Greens leader also said he wanted environmental laws to be changed so projects had to specifically take into account their effect on climate change.

Senator Di Natale also backed Labor's $1 billion pledge for environmental initiatives, including a native species protection fund and protecting beaches from erosion.

But the Greens want a "climate trigger" put into environment laws.

"Quite simply when any proposal is being put forward and the environment impact is being considered, what we have to do is make sure climate change is the first thing that's considered as part of environmental impact," Senator Di Natale said.