India's booming economy has huge potential to shift to a low-carbon future but needs a little hand-holding by rich nations to keep it on the right path, a top Indian climate change negotiator said.

Indonesia may cut subsidies for fossil fuels and introduce policies requiring state electricity firm PLN to use renewable energy sources for part of its supply within a year, a senior environment official said Monday.

Ranked the world's third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases in a 2007 World Bank report, Indonesia is considered a key player in the fight against climate change.

The environment won a temporary reprieve in the recession as Americans slammed the brakes on one of their favorite pastimes: consuming stuff.

But while the austerity brought by a battered economy has cut pollution, it has also hit investment in green technology, which could damage the environment in the longer term, experts say.

Power sector in India is quite phenomenal and it continues to grow

Power generation, transmission and distribution for a huge country like India with its myriad geographical, physiological, demographic, natural and environmental variations pose a great challenge.

Shastry V. Mallady and Meera Srinivasan

MADURAI/CHENNAI: A project initiated by the State

Apart from granting Rs 1,000 crore as compensation for the Aila affected people, the Centre ahs also sanctioned Rs 1.5 crore for provision of solar lanterns to the Aila-affected blocks in the Sunderbans area.

The ministry of new and renewable energy has sanctioned this grant of Rs 1.5 crore to provide 14,000 solar lanterns to the Aila-affected people of Hingalgunj, Gosba and Patharpratima.

Germany is ready to assist Bangladesh in the solar-energy sector by providing its high technology for developing and tapping the renewable energy, the outgoing German ambassador said yesterday.

An American firm Bargamo E&A has shown interest to invest in the solar energy projects. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the firm, Hilard Herzong, called on the Sindh Governor, Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan. A statement on Sunday said that the meeting was held at the Governor House here.

Pune, July 17 Dow Corning