Tree-munching beetles, malaria-carrying mosquitoes and deer ticks that spread Lyme disease are three living signs that climate change is likely to exact a heavy toll on human health.

These pests and others are expanding their ranges in a warming world, which means people who never had to worry about them will have to start. And they are hardly the only health threats from global warming.

Top executives from companies likely to win from climate change policies demanded on Tuesday that governments turn away from fossil fuels when they sign a new climate pact, expected in December.

Tens of billions of dollars are likely to be needed to help poor nations curb greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change under a new U.N. treaty, European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said.

US President Barack Obama is walking a tightrope on climate change -- and so far appears to be achieving a delicate balance.

At Obama's urging, Congress is working on a bill to curb greenhouse gas emissions with a cap-and-trade system. The developed world is again looking to the United States to lead on the climate issue after eight years of Washington sitting on the sidelines.

China's boom of coal-fired power plants is likely to slow after next year as excess capacity and then expanding renewable and nuclear energy sources kick in, a senior energy policy analyst said in an interview.

Bangladesh should develop expertise both at public and private sectors for strong negotiations at international forums to face the challenges of climate change, said the experts and academics yesterday.

The Canadian government announced details on Tuesday of the C$1 billion ($860 million) clean energy fund it promised in February, with the lion's share of the cash going to support the development of carbon capture and storage projects.

The White House will unveil an auto fuel efficiency proposal on Tuesday to resolve a dispute between California and the US government over emissions and accelerate the timeframe for sharply improving mileage performance, industry and other sources said.

NHPC circumvents its way into thermal power

The country's largest hydel power company, nhpc Limited (formerly known as National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Ltd), was incorporated in 1976 with an objective to plan, promote and organise an integrated and efficient development of hydroelectric power in India. Under its articles of association, nhpc does not have the mandate to get into