Industry leaders, scientists, and doctors have called on the major political parties to spell out their climate change policies in detail before election day.

A group of 24 prominent Australians, including former Australian of the Year and epidemiologist Professor Fiona Stanley, have signed an open letter calling on political leaders to take "emergency-scale action".

The statement also calls for an immediate ban on new coal and gas developments, and an urgent transition to zero emissions.

Another signatory, former Business Council of Australia CEO Paul Barratt, said climate change was a fundamental issue but has only featured symbolically during the election campaign.

"Major parties should be presenting themselves to the electorate with a convincing case about what they will specifically do to face climate change," Mr Barratt said.

"It's very important they get on the record what they propose to do and we make a choice about who will be our next government based on this issue."

"The worst-case scenario would be to drift as we have for decades."

Mr Barratt said the range of signatories to the open letter revealed the scale of concern about the issue, including among business people.

"It's people whose occupations have led them to pay careful attention to this issue and be very worried about the lack of action on it," he said.

"If we have dramatic changes of weather patterns, sea level and irreversible air and ocean systems there won't be any significant business to worry about."

The open letter was initiated by community climate groups and is being published in The Age newspaper.