The National Low Emissions Coal Council and a Carbon Storage Taskforce would include representatives from government, industry and the research community, Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson said today.

Dick Wells, a former chief executive of the Minerals Council of Australia and the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association, will chair the taskforce.

"Dick brings a wealth of experience to the resources sector," Mr Ferguson told reporters.

"(The) council will also develop a national strategy aimed at accelerating the deployment of low emissions coal technologies."

There must be a target for a commercial breakthrough on low emissions technology by 2015-2020, Mr Ferguson said.

"We have got to have a target, not only in Australia, but also the global community, of making a real commercial breakthrough in terms of deployment of low emissions coal technology in the timespan 2015-20.

"That's my own view, that's got to be our objective."

Australia would not be working alone on this issue, Mr Ferguson said.

"We are also working with a number of countries that are absolutely committed to a similar outcome and also ... a number of businesses who are not only important to Australia domestically, but also the global community in terms of use of coal."