NEW DELHI: The environment ministry has thrown a spanner in the works of the commerce ministry's initiative to launch an online single window for making it easier to do business in India, a move that is reminiscent of its earlier solitary resistance to the National Investment Board.

An official familiar with the matter told ET that the ministry of environment and forests is not willing to comply with the concept of single-window clearance under the eBiz portal, which is designed to provide a platform to businesses to apply for licences from and pay the application fee to all ministries and departments concerned at one go.

India faces the risk of devastating drought as monsoon rains are likely to have a shortfall of 70% in the years ahead, as climate change shakes up global weather phenomena, recent research and

BONN-II MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THE failure that it is being made out to be. Yes, there was no negotiating text at the end of the fortnight, there was no movement on increasing ambition by the rich industrialised countries, and the Kyoto protocol still lives on life support. By these counts, Bonn-II could well be adjudged as a faliure.

AS THE WORLD WORKS TO A GLOBAL climate deal in Cancun later this year, advanced developing countries like India will come under increasing pressure to commit to higher targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions than these countries have put on the table.

IF THE GOAL OF LIMITING TEMPERATURE rise to 2 degrees centigrade above the pre-industrial era is to be met, then a technological fix is central to any solution to deal with climate change. The attempt would be to find a way to meet development goals that will at the same time reduce or control emissions. This requires new rapidly scalable and powerful technologies.