Sitting on a World Economic Forum panel in Davos with naturalist Sir David Attenborough, Ardern recalled that just a decade ago she had been "roundly booed" at a town hall meeting for speaking about the climate.

"But even in that 10-year period, how dramatic the shift has been. No longer do you have the significant questioning of the science," she told the panel chaired by former US vice president Al Gore.

"Climate change isn't a hypothetical ... have someone from the Pacific island nations take you to a place they used to play as a child on the coast and show you where they used to stand and where the water now rises."

Ardern, 38, said heads of state who denied a climate crisis needed to put aside fears the issue would undermine their status.

"You don't have to cede power by acting on climate change," she said.

"This is about being on the right side of history. Do you want to be a leader that looks back in time and say that you were on the wrong side of the argument when the world was crying out for a solution? It's as simple as that."

Her administration is using Davos to promote its upcoming "wellbeing" budget, which it says is a world-first attempt to integrate climate change as well as other social issues into the government books.

New Zealand's Labour Party-led government last year passed a law ending future offshore oil and gas exploration around the country.

Sir David - who also spoke on the climate while being interviewed by Prince William - during the same panel also issued a warning to world leaders.

"Think of your children and your children's children," he said.

"Could you look them in the eye and say, 'I knew what could be done to stop the degradation of the planet ... and I failed to do it."

Australian Associated Press