The six nations said their vision for a "non-binding compact" called the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate would be developed at a meeting in Australia in November.

The following are some of the key points in a "vision statement" the six countries presented:

- The new partnership would promote the use of "existing and emerging cost-effective, cleaner technologies and practices, through concrete and substantial cooperation so as to achieve practical results."

- Areas for collaboration may include energy efficiency, clean coal, liquefied natural gas, combined heat and power, civilian nuclear power, hydropower, wind power and solar power.

- The partnership would also cooperate on the development and use of technologies to "promote economic growth while enabling significant reductions in greenhouse gas intensities."

This would include collaboration in the areas of hydrogen, nanotechnologies, advanced biotechnologies, next-generation nuclear fission and fusion energy.

- The partners would "explore opportunities to reduce the greenhouse gas intensities of our economies."

- They would consider "establishing a framework for the partnership, including institutional and financial arrangements and ways to include other interested and like-minded countries."

- They would also try to engage the private sector and review the partnership on a regular basis.

- The six said the new deal was intended to complement the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol.

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