Green Credit Only After Achieving 40% Canopy Cover Over 5 Years: Environment Ministry
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has issued a notification introducing a strict benchmark for awarding Green Credits . Under this framework, an applicant will only be eligible for Green Credit after achieving 40% canopy density on a degraded forest land parcel, following a minimum of five years of restoration activities . The move is part of the government’s broader Green Credit Programme , designed to incentivize ecological restoration, encourage corporate participation in afforestation efforts, and link environmental performance with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting . Green Credit Rules 2023: Legal Basis and Objective The Green Credit Rules, 2023 , were notified in October 2023 under Sections 3, 6, and 25 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 . The rules empower companies, private entities, and other stakeholders to take up plantation and restoration projects on degraded land , including open forest areas, scrubla...