Climate change protesters took a two-prong approach when they called on Wollongong City Council to take environmental action on Monday night.
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The Youth Environmental Alliance group organised a protest outside council chambers while two members addressed councillors during a council meeting.
Protesters held signs, slogans were drawn on the ground in chalk and speakers could be heard on the 10 floor of the building.
Darcy Turner and Nicholas Ritchie urged councillors to take drastic action on climate change when the alliance drafts a notice of motion and asks a councillor to submit it for consideration at the next council meeting.
Mr Turner called on councillors to support a Global Climate Strike on September 20, which encourages adults and high school students to strike for the environment.
"Last year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report saying that within 12 years if we do not curb our greenhouse gas emission there is a possibility we will see irreversible ecological catastrophes around the world," Mr Ritchie said.
"The federal and state governments in Australia have not headed that caution whatsoever with the rushed approvals of the Adani Coal Mine.
"That is why we have taken the caution on and decided to stand and rise up as activists by going to councils to see what they can do."
Mr Ritchie said the federal government's stance on climate action was clear when it approved the Adani Coal Mine so the alliance was seeking a symbolic commitment from the council to tell the community and federal government that it did not support the approval.
The alliance is also calling the council to immediately invest in renewable jobs in the city, oppose drilling in the Great Australian Bite, sever ties with the fossil fuel industry and mandate that all new buildings need to have solar panels installed.
Cr Ann Martin said the council had taken great strides in its environmental action such as retrofitting the council building so it had a six-star energy rating and it had joined the Global Coalition of Mayors which works as global collective to address climate change concerns.
Cr Leigh Colacino commended the speakers for their passion and said it was reminiscent of other councillors' passion and activism.
Mr Turner was one of the organisers of a climate change rally that shut down the Crown Street intersection in May and a student protest in March.
Kaia Cox, a Youth Environment Alliance representative, said the council needed to have a clearer stance on climate change by declaring a "climate emergency", which would then inform its future environmental policies.
"If councils unite together then they can stand up against the government," she said.
Ms Cox encouraged people to go to an organising meeting for the September Global Climate Strike at Wollongong City Library building on Friday at 5pm.