The United Nations chief, Ban Ki-moon, held out little hope on Thursday of an historic outcome at the Rio global development summit, now less than a month away, admitting negotiations had been "painfully slow".

The warning was the latest from United Nations officials and others involved in preparations that the summit, known as Rio+20, is unlikely to replicate the breakthrough achievements of the original environmental gathering in the city in 1992.

Certain amendments have been proposed to the new Punjab Environmental Protection (Amendment) Act, 2012, the other day.

Secretary (Environment) Iqbal Saeed Wahla chaired a meeting at EPD office and presented the proposals to the media and experts on environment.

Mr Saeed said the proposals would be forwarded to the law department after holding a few brainstorming sessions with all the stakeholders.

Cement manufacturing giant Lafarge Surma Cement Ltd today said it was adopting a standardised approach to sustainable development by adhering to various environmental norms in its operations across the world, including the one at Nongtrai village in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills district. Lafarge Umiam Mining Pvt Ltd (LUMPL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Lafarge Surma Cement Ltd., has been engaging in mining limestone from Nongtrai village under Shella in an area covering over 100 hectares since March 2003.

This despite the recommendation of National Forest Commission''

The State has failed to frame its own forest policy even six years after the National Forest Commission recommended that each State should have its own policy for sustainable development of forests and wildlife resources. The Comptroller and Audit General (CAG) Report (Civil) for the year ended March 2011, which was tabled in the Assembly on Wednesday, has found that the State had failed in its set targets in improving the forest cover and in allocation for the sector during the XI Plan period.

Technicians dismantle e-waste from discarded electronic devices such as computer peripherals at Earth Sense Recycle unit in Andhra Pradesh.

India-born professor Kamal Bawa has donated the entire prize money of one million Norwegian Kronor (about Rs.10 million) from the world's first major international sustainability award to the Indian organisation he founded in 1996. Bawa, distinguished professor of biology at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, is the 2012 winner of the Gunnerus Sustainability Award from the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and letters (DKNVS).

With a weak rupee, exporters are confident of demand for Indian agri products in global mkt
Exporters of agri commodities such as wheat, sugar and cotton feel that shipments could pick up if India would enter into bilateral agreements with countries in the Middle East, Africa and the Saarc bloc. Comfortable global stock and a slowdown in the world economy are making Indian agri commodity exports unviable, say exporters. With a weak rupee, exporters are confident of demand for Indian agri products in international market if bilateral agreements are in place.