Introduction of Green Credit Programme:
Announced by the Environment Ministry in October 2023.
A market-based mechanism offering incentives termed as 'green credits' for environmental and ecological contributions by individuals and companies.
Criticism and Concerns:
Criticism suggests potential misuse to circumvent existing forest conservation laws.
Question arises regarding the effectiveness of green credits in benefiting India's forests amidst existing challenges.
Understanding the Green Credit Programme:
Vaibhav Chaturvedi's Perspective:
Advocates incentivizing green and sustainable actions through policies.
Green credits serve as an incentive structure to engage various stakeholders in actions like water conservation and afforestation.
Debadityo Sinha's Perspective:
Highlights the market-based nature of the program across sectors like forest and waste management.
Emphasizes the importance of effective implementation considering ground-level challenges and expertise of implementers.
Concerns about Afforestation:
Discussion on potential negative consequences of afforestation, such as monocultures and unsuitable vegetation promotion.
Emphasizes the need for a broader view beyond just planting trees and addressing various aspects of the ecosystem.
Challenges in Market Mechanism:
Discussion on challenges like measuring biodiversity impact and achieving ecosystem revival.
Fungibility issues arise in equating different types of credits (e.g., biodiversity, water conservation) on the same platform.
Impact on Mandatory Compliances:
Green credits' influence on mandatory compliances like forest clearances.
Concerns raised about clashes with existing environmental laws, particularly the Forest Conservation Act.
Clashes with Environmental Laws:
Clear clashes observed with the Forest Conservation Act due to lack of definitions for terms like forest and degraded forest.
Concerns about bypassing forest clearance processes for industries seeking green credits, compromising environmental law principles.
Conclusion and Recommendations:
Suggests the need for a nuanced approach to address complexities in environmental law and strengthen compliance processes.
Emphasizes the importance of considering all environmental aspects and avoiding compromises in favor of industrial growth.
COMMENTS