Green Credit Program

To take ahead the 'LiFE' - 'Lifestyle for Environment' movement, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change during October 2023 launched the Green Credit Program (GCP) - a national initiative to address climate change, sustainability and promotion of eco-conscious practices. 

LiFE-Lifestyle for Environment

Government of India has introduced ‘LiFE'-'Lifestyle for Environment’, as a grass-root, mass movement, for protection and conservation of environment and for other environmental and climate gains, by enhancing environmental actions that propagate a healthy and sustainable way of living based on traditions and values of conservation and moderation, and for sustainable and environment-friendly development. 

The Green Credit programme is independent of the carbon credit under the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme, 2023 made under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001 (52 of 2001), an environmental activity generating green credit may have climate co-benefits, such as reduction or removal of carbon emissions and an activity generating green credit under Green Credit programme may also get carbon credit from the same activity.

Green Credit Rules, 2023

Objectives of Green Credit programme

• The green credit programme shall incentivise environmental positive actions through market-based mechanism and generate green credit, which shall be tradable and  made available for trading on a domestic market platform.
• The green credit will arise from taking measures by a person of any environment activities referred to in sub-rule (2) of rule 4.  
• The green credit programme shall encourage industries, companies and other entities to meet their existing obligations or other obligations under any law for the time being in force, and encourage other persons and entities, to undertake voluntary environmental measures referred to in rule 4 by generating or buying green credit.

Green Credits 

Any person or entity may take any measure specified under sub-rule (2) for the purposes of protection, preservation, or conservation of the environment. The measures referred to in sub-rule (1) may include the following activities, namely

• tree plantation—to promote activities for increasing the green cover across the country;
•  water management—to promote water conservation, water harvesting and water use efficiency or water savings, including treatment and reuse of wastewater;
• sustainable agriculture—to promote natural and regenerative agricultural practices and land restoration to improve productivity, soil health and nutritional value of food produced;
• waste management—to promote circularity, sustainable and improved practices for waste management, including collection, segregation, and environmentally sound management;
• air pollution reduction—to promote measures for reducing air pollution and other pollution abatement activities;
• mangrove conservation and restoration—to promote measures for conservation and restoration of mangroves;
• ecomark label development—to encourage manufacturers to obtain ecomark label for their goods and services;
• sustainable building and infrastructure—to encourage the construction of sustainable buildings and other infrastructure using environment friendly technologies and materials.

The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, an autonomous body of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India is  the Administrator of the programme.

A person or entity desirous of obtaining green credit shall register the activity with the Administrator for any activity undertaken by him for grant of green credit. An application for registration shall be made to the Administrator electronically through a website established by the Central Government for that purpose. On receipt of the application, the Administrator shall cause the activity to be verified by a designated agency. The designated agency shall, after making such verification and inquiry will submit a report to the Administrator verifying the activities undertaken by the applicant. On receipt of the report, the Administrator shall grant the applicant a certificate of green credit. 

To access the complete notification, click here.

Source : Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change