Australia's biggest emitters lower pollution count

Feb 28 (Reuters) - Australia's biggest-polluting companies reduced their carbon dioxide emissions last year, government data showed Friday, although the 10 biggest still account for around a quarter of the nation's total emissions.

The 10 biggest emitters - nine power generators and Woodside Petroleum WPL.AX - reduced their emissions by a combined 5.9 percent in 2012/13, Clean Energy Regulator data showed, but still emitted nearly 147 million tonnes of CO2, each of them on average as much as Guatemala.

The numbers left coal-dependant Australia among one of the world's biggest per capita emitters of greenhouse gases, but confirmed data from last month showing lower CO2 output from electricity generators as a result of falling power demand and increasing use of renewables.

Coal-fired generator Macquarie, owned by the New South Wales government, cut its CO2 emissions in financial year 2012/13 by 11.5 percent to 20.4 million tonnes but remained Australia's biggest-emitting firm, Clean Energy Regulator data showed.

AGL Energy , which is hoping to buy Macquarie for A$1.5 billion ($1.34 bln) pending approval by competition authorities, was the second biggest contributor to climate change, releasing 20.2 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere, 6.9 percent less than the previous year.

Another NSW state-owned firm, Delta Electricity, recorded a 0.6 percent rise in emissions, leapfrogging International Power to take third place.

The data covered emissions from over 400 firms that must report emissions and energy consumption to the government. In total they emitted 309 million tonnes of CO2, over half of Australia's total emissions.

(Reporting by Stian Reklev; Editing by Richard Pullin)

((stian.reklev@thomsonreuters.com)(+861066271298)(Reuters Messaging: stian.reklev.thomsonreuters@reuters.net))

Keywords: AUSTRALIA CARBON/