Leaders of 21 Pacific Rim economies failed on Sunday to make a breakthrough on climate change or world trade talks, but said they might form their own preferential trading area if global efforts collapsed.

The Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) forum members, including Canada, China, Japan, Russia and the US, said there had “never been a more urgent need to make progress” on the Doha round of trade talks as they concluded their annual summit in Sydney.