Green Credit Programme Implementation Rules, 2023

The Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change has released a new rule called Green Credit Programme Implementation Rules, 2023. This rule is based on the mission LiFE by the central government of India.

Objectives of the Green Credit Programme

The main objectives of the Green Credit Programme are as follows: –

Create a market-based mechanism for providing incentives in the form of Green Credits to individuals, Farmer Producer Organisations, cooperatives, forestry enterprises, sustainable agriculture enterprises, Urban and Rural Local Bodies, private sectors, industries and organisations for environment positive actions;
Create mass movement around environment positive actions and realise the vision of “Mission LiFE” through pro-planet-people and entities.

Implementation Mechanism of the Green Credit Programme

(1) A phased and iterative approach for implementation of the Programme will be adopted. In the initial phase, two to three activities from the sectors indicated in clause

(2) will be considered for designing and piloting the Programme. More activities will be added from the selected sectors in subsequent phases. More sectors can also be added with the approval of the Central Government.

Sectors identified for the Programme with respective objectives are as follows:

Tree Plantation-based Green Credit: To promote activities for increasing the green cover across the country through tree plantation and related activities.
Water-based Green Credit: To promote water conservation, water harvesting and water use efficiency/savings, including treatment and reuse of wastewater.
Sustainable Agriculture based Green Credit: To promote natural and regenerative agricultural practices and land restoration to improve productivity, soil health and nutritional value of food produced.
Waste Management based Green Credit: To promote sustainable and improved practices for waste management, including collection, segregation and treatment.
Air Pollution Reduction based Green Credit: To promote measures for reducing air pollution and other pollution abatement activities.
Mangrove Conservation and Restoration based Green Credit: To promote measures for conservation and restoration of mangroves.
Ecomark based Green Credit: To encourage manufacturers to obtain Ecomark label for their goods and services.
Sustainable building and infrastructure based Green Credit: To encourage the construction of buildings and other infrastructure using sustainable technologies and materials.