SYDNEY — Breakthroughs on cleaner energy technology are a matter of life and death for the planet, Australia warned on Wednesday ahead of a meeting of six nations to tackle climate change without sacrificing economic growth.

The United States, Japan, China, India, Australia and South Korea will hold the first meeting of the Asia-Pacific Partnership for Clean Development and Climate on Thursday -- a pact they say will complement, not rival, the Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse gas.

But on Wednesday ministers from the six nations will meet some of the world's top energy companies, including BHP Billiton and ExxonMobil, to discuss public/private partnerships to develop and deliver technologies such as clean coal and renewable energy.

"Governments and taxpayers simply won't be able to afford the sorts of measures that need to be put in place over the next three to five decades," Australian Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday.

"There are going to have to be substantial reductions of greenhouse gas emissions based on the predicted growth in energy demand, and to do that business will have to play its role."

The International Energy Agency has predicted that if governments stick with current policies, global energy needs and carbon emissions will be more than 50 percent higher in 2030 than 2005.

According to figures released by the partnership, the six members account for 45 percent of the world's population, 48 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions and 48 percent of the world's energy consumption.

Government sources told Reuters that the partnership plans to create a fund to help develop cleaner energy technologies, which Australia would kickstart with about A$100 million ($75 million).

Macfarlane said while the Asia Pacific Partnership would run parallel to Kyoto -- which requires about 40 developed countries to cut their emissions by 5.2 percent below 1990 levels during 2008-2012 -- the reality was technological solutions would easily outstrip any Kyoto savings.

Local media reported on Wednesday that major coal producers such as BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto were promoting a plan to launch an industry-wide fund by the end of 2006 to develop clean coal technologies to reduce greenhouse gases.

While the aluminium industry from the six nations was expected to announce on Thursday a co-operative strategy on reducing emissions, energy consumption, recycling, The Australian newspaper said.

"That's the target -- to get breakthroughs in technologies that are absolutely a matter of life and death for the planet," Australian Environment Minister Ian Campbell told Australian television on Wednesday.

Hundreds of green activists are expected to stage protests outside the meeting on Wednesday, which also includes business chiefs from United States' Rio Tinto, Peabody Energy Corp and Japan's Nippon Steel Corp.

"You can't have a good environment with a damaged economy and the green groups seem hell bent on trying to destroy the economy, trying to destroy people's living standards and ultimately what happens is you destroy the environment," Campbell said.

(Additional reporting by Paul Marriott)

Source: Reuters