The federal resources minister has called on young people in Australia to consider employment in mining to help the world decarbonise.
Madeleine King said she believed future prosperity depended on the resources sector.
She told a conference in Perth that young people should know that the sector was making a positive difference.
"Reaching net zero by 2050 will need the expertise of this resources sector," she said.
"The world needs our young people to consider careers in geoscience, geophysics, chemistry, metallurgy and engineering if we are to decarbonise.
"Australia's commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050 means we need more mining, not less.
"As I've said repeatedly, without the resources sector, there is no net zero."
In an appeal to younger people concerned by a changing climate, Ms King said gas was still needed to process critical minerals, to produce batteries to store renewable energy.
She said Australia's coal and gas resources were essential for energy security and reliability for decades to come.
"In many cases, Australia's gas has the potential to lift millions out of energy poverty," she said.
"I was in India last month with the prime minister where gas is allowing families in rural areas to access a clean cooking fuel.
"Women and girls are disproportionately impacted by health problems stemming from dirty cooking fuels."
Ms King said she believed there was an urgent need for the resources sector to get better at telling its story to younger Australians.
New $40m minerals investment for WA
The WA premier used the conference to announce a $40 million investment in the critical minerals sector.
The Sustainable Geoscience Investments package will include a $16 million boost to the Exploration Incentive Scheme and measures to assist more targeted exploration.
The funding is designed to help address the demand for critical minerals for technologies including solar panels, electric vehicles and energy storage.
Mark McGowan said WA accounted for half of global lithium production and was a major exporter of nickel, manganese and rare earths.
"Research shows the world's known reserves cannot meet future needs," he said.
"Our investment aims to build on our state's successes to date and accelerate resource discoveries in these critical areas."
The premier said the package included $4 million to the Minerals Research Institute to expand research in net zero and waste reduction projects.
He said the package would build on other initiatives to facilitate green energy projects in WA.
