This is the message climate change activists will put forward to Orange City Council on Tuesday when councillor Stephen Nugent raises a motion to declare a climate emergency.

Cr Nugent will ask councillors to vote to join the 600 jurisdictions around the world which recognise the need for action.

Members of Futuring Orange, including founder Kate Hook, will put forward their argument for making the declaration during the public forum.

"By Orange joining the growing number of governments and councils declaring a climate emergency, council can demonstrate that it is listening to the concerned members of our community - whose numbers and voices grow every week," Mrs Hook said.

Cr Nugent said council is already doing quite a lot to support sustainability efforts, including funding the installation of solar panels on council buildings and swapping street lights for energy efficient LEDs, but an official Climate Emergency Declaration would keep climate change discourse on the public agenda.

"It's a way of generating debate and demonstrating council support for people who are concerned and don't want to see it drop off the public discourse," he said.

Cr Nugent said the fact that the Australian National University identified Orange in the top five electorates which will be most affected by climate change by 2050 had caught people's attention.

However, he said for most people who are busy earning a living and raising a family, the issue can seem "fairly remote and far off".

"Because of the ongoing drought, the decline in water levels and the fact we're about to enter stage five restrictions, it is on people's minds," he said.

"It feels so big that people feel whatever they do won't have an impact, so why bother?"

Futuring Orange members, who held a meeting at the Parkview Hotel last week to discuss meaningful action community members can take to contribute to the climate change movement, voiced their hope for residents to attend the council meeting on Tuesday as their way of showing support.

Cr Nugent said attending was a practical and tangible way for the public to take action against something people from all walks of life, not just a particular political party, are concerned about.

"It'll only cost them one night to show up and show their support," he said.