SYDNEY, Jan. 12 (Xinhuanet) -- Australian Prime Minister John Howard and senior officials said Thursday that attendants of the inaugural meeting of the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate have agreed on a "ground-breaking new model for international climate change and energy collaboration."

    Ministers and business leaders from the six partners, namely, Australia, China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United States ended a two-day meeting here Thursday with the focus on developing cleaner energy technologies so as to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

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

    In a joint statement by Howard, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane and Environment Minister Ian Campbell issued following the end of the meeting, the ministers described the meeting as "historic," saying the partnership complements other global climate change initiatives.

    "The outcomes of the Partnership's inaugural meeting have redefined the way climate change, energy security and air pollution will be addressed in order to encourage economic growth and development," they said in a statement.

    "The six-country Asia-Pacific Partnership recognizes that technology collaboration, long term commitments and significant investments are needed to tackle the sustainable generation and use of energy," they said.

    Acceleration of technology, especially low emissions technology, collaboration between governments, business and research organizations to foster innovation and to implement practical, achievable, economically sustainable solutions to climate change are essential to a sustainable solution to climate change, they said.

    "A distinctive feature of the Partnership is the unprecedented way business, government and researchers will work together to achieve the Partnership's objectives," they said.

    The minister described the outcomes of the meeting between government ministers and senior business representatives as "unique," because it is the first time industry has been afforded such an opportunity in global climate change discussions.

    The partnership was put together by Australia and the United States, the only developed countries to refuse to join 35 others and sign the Kyoto Protocol, which would commit signers 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. Enditem