Sacred Heart College student, Rachel Collins, told the crowd they want the Government to declare a climate emergency.
Collins said Government's target of reducing net emissions to zero by 2050 wasn't ambitious enough.
"The land can't work for us - we need to work for her. We need to look after her, we need to plant trees, we need to reduce the amount of waste we're putting out there," she said.
Green Party MP Chloe Swarbrick thanked the student protestors for striking today.
Swarbrick told the crowd they were right to think the Government wasn't doing enough to save the environment.
"You cannot let them get away with this and I thank all of you for what you're doing to force this place to wake the hell up," she said.
Students lay down on Queen Street in Auckland, to symbolise the need for people to wake up to climate change, before gathering in Aotea Square.
Ten-year-old Toby says he was excited to be part of the protest and classmate, Noah, says they've been talking a lot at school about the threat of climate change.
Muslim community member Zahra Hussaini opened the climate protest in Christchurch, reading a poem to those gathered.
The last protest in Cathedral Square was called to a sudden halt, as the mosque shooting unfolded in the city.
Almost 1000 students re-gathered in the city centre this afternoon.
Ministers Eugenie Sage and Megan Wood came out to show their support, with Sage accepting a list of the student's demands
Environment Canterbury councillor, Lan Pham, addressed the students, acknowledging they've failed the next generation.