SYDNEY, Australia, Jan. 11 (Xinhuanet) -- High officials from six Asia-Pacific nations on Wednesday started to discuss how to tackle climate change while maintaining economic development.

    It is expected that developing cleaner energy technologies willbe the focus of the two-day Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate meeting, which is underway in Sydney, Australia's largest city.

    The partnership will also be counting on private support to develop and deliver technologies such as clean coal and renewable energy, with officials meeting some of the world's top energy companies Wednesday afternoon.

    Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane and Environment Minister Ian Campbell are among high officials of other partners, China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United States.

    The six nations represent almost half of world GDP, energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and population.

    The partnership was put together by Australia and the United States, the only developed countries to refuse to join 35 others to sign the Kyoto Protocol on climate change that would commit them to legally binding targets for reducing emissions.

    The partners have said the partnership rests on the notion of a"non-binding compact" that would "complement, but not replace, the Kyoto Protocol."

    Australia and the United States said joining the Kyoto Protocol would slow their economies. Enditem