A network of "super-reefs" off east Africa are unusually resilient to climate change and could provide important lessons for coral conservation in other parts of the world, researchers said on Friday.

Experts say the planet has lost about a fifth of its corals and warn that many of the remaining reefs could die in the next 20 to 40 years, unless greenhouse gas emissions are reduced.

A proposal to ban sales of new gasoline-powered cars in Norway from 2015 could help spur struggling carmakers to shift to greener models, Finance Minister Kristin Halvorsen said on Saturday.

The United States hopes to take the reins of international efforts to battle global warming next week with a meeting of major economies aimed at facilitating a UN pact to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Global warming activist Al Gore on Friday urged passage this year of a US law to slash greenhouse emissions, saying failure to pass legislation could cause the collapse of world climate negotiations.

Showers, taps, windows and home insulation will have to conform to environmental standards in the European Union, after lawmakers voted to widen the scope of existing "eco-design" regulations on Friday.

The move is aimed at weaning the 27-nation bloc off its heavy dependence on Russian gas and at cutting greenhouse gas emissions in the battle against climate change.

United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) has accelerated its efforts towards implementation of its Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) programme leading to energy efficiency in the Pakistan. The CDM under article 12 of Kyoto Protocol is considered as an effective mechanism for industrial and economic development for the developing countries like Pakistan.