Australia has signed a new technology partnership with the United States and joined an international alliance to secure global supply of critical minerals as Western nations ramp up efforts to cut carbon emissions and wean themselves off volatile oil and gas markets.

Federal Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen told an international conference of top regional and US officials and ministers on Tuesday that building resilient supply chains in clean energy would head off the risk of being held hostage for the supply of high-priced fossil fuels amid mounting geostrategic risks following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.