China's central government plans to spend 170 billion yuan ($27 billion) this year to promote energy conservation, emission reductions and renewable energy, the Ministry of Finance said in a statement on its website on Thursday.

The ministry said China plans to promote more use of energy-saving products and low or no-emission power generation such as solar and wind. It also wants to accelerate the development of renewable energy, as well as energy-saving technologies, such as electric and hybrid cars.

The Ministry of Finance (MOF) announced Thursday that central government-funded expenditures on energy savings and emission reductions as well as on renewable energies development will total 97.9 billion yuan ($15.5 billion) this year, up 25.1 billion yuan from 2011.

The government's accumulative "green" investment will hit 170 billion yuan in 2012, the MOF said.

Meanwhile, the central government has budgeted 25.5 billion yuan in subsidies for expanding the consumption of energy-saving household electrical appliances this year, according to the MOF.

The majority of Americans (58 percent) think that protecting the environment improves economic growth and creates new jobs. The results are from a recently released poll by Yale University and George Mason University's climate change communication program. Only 17 percent of the poll's respondents think that environmental protection hurts the economy and job growth, and 25 percent think there is no effect.

Bangladesh has become the partner of UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon's initiative styled "Sustainable Energy for all".

UN chief's special envoy and senior adviser to the initiative Luis Gomes formally informed Bangladesh's inclusion to this initiative to the Environment and Forest Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud when he called on him at the latter's office here on Wednesday. In a written statement, Ban Ki Moon said, the main objective of the initiative is to protect the world from pollution, poverty and ensure economic development.

In an otherwise ‘electricity surplus’ Gujarat, the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, on Thursday announced a partnership with the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) for providing solar stoves and lanterns to its two lakh rural women members in the State.

For this, IFC will provide a partial credit guarantee for a $5-million (about Rs 250 crore) loan that ICICI Bank is providing to SEWA-sponsored Grassroots Trading Network for Women (GTNW).

AHMEDABAD: International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, is helping Ahmedabad-based Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) provide energy-efficient cook stoves and solar lanters to its members. IFC will provide a partial credit guarantee for a $5 million loan that an Indian private sector bank is providing to SEWA-sponsored Grassroots Trading Network for Women.

Under the initiative, women from various villages in Gujarat will be provided a loan to buy the combination of stove and lantern, at Rs 2,800 and Rs 1,800 respectively.

Ministry of new and renewable energy has constituted solar energy industry advisory council (SEIAC) to advice it on various technology related matters, attracting investments across the value chain, suggest steps required to encourage R&D and drive down costs and make the Indian solar industry globally competitive.

Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, may finally be getting serious about overcoming the technical and financial hurdles for tapping its other main resource: sunshine.

Thousands of solar power panels have sprung up across Europe over the past few years, thanks to generous subsidies that make the technology an attractive alternative to conventional energy.

Saudi Arabia too, wants to generate much more solar power as it lacks coal or enough natural gas output to meet rapidly rising power demand.