Students are gearing up for a second march for climate change after a more than 20,000-strong turnout for their last strike. 

That event ended up being overshadowed by the Christchurch terror attacks which unfolded on the same day.

School Strike 4 Climate national coordinator Sophie Handford told Mike Hosking a fresh strike is planned for later this month.

She says they've had some push back from schools in the past so are focusing on schools that are keen.

"We kind of decided that our energy would be better spent focusing on that support and the positive energy that we did have for the movement." 

The last School Strike 4 Climate took place the same day as the Christchurch terror attacks.

Handford says the march was rightly overshadowed because of that.

But she says there was, and still is, strong support for the cause.

"The support on the day was just absolutely mindblowing for us. We had over 20,000 people out striking across the country, so it was bigger than we thought."

The new strike is planned for May 24.