Thousands of Australian school students skipped school on Friday to stage mass protests across the country to urge for greater action on climate change.

"School Strike 4 Climate Action" protests are being held in every state capital and 20 regional towns, the BBC reported.

The protests come after Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday rebuked the students' plans for "activism" during school hours and insisted his government was tackling climate change.

Many students said his remarks had bolstered their resolve to protest.

"We will be the ones suffering the consequences of the decisions they [politicians] make today," protester Jagveer Singh, 17, told the BBC.

Organisers said the students were inspired by Greta Thunberg, a 15-year-old girl in Sweden who has undertaken similar protests.

Australia has committed to reducing its emissions by 26-28 per cent on 2005 levels by 2030, under the Paris climate agreement.

Earlier this week, the UN said that Australia and many other nations were falling short of their emission commitments.