Environment

Govt prepares framework for Indian carbon market under CCTS, sets up panel

The government has framed the structure for the Indian carbon market under CCTS, with a National Steering Committee to guide it and several sectors already moving to the compliance regime

India's climate turning more volatile as study finds 0.9°C rise in decade

India's average temperature rose by nearly 0.9 degrees Celsius in the last decade (2015-2024) with the number of warm days increasing across most of the country, a new study says, highlighting the urgent need for adaptation strategies. The hottest day of the year also registered a temperature rise of 1.5-2 degrees Celsius in western and northeast India since the 1950s, the study found. The research by climate scientists Chirag Dhara (Krea University, India), Aditi Deshpande (Savitribai Phule Pune University), Roxy Mathew Koll (Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology), Padmini Dalpadado (Institute of Marine Research, Norway) and Mandira Singh Shrestha (International Center for Integrated Mountain Development, Nepal), states that this warming is driving a surge in extreme weather events. The new peer-reviewed study synthesises the latest observational data and climate model projections to paint a stark picture, the researchers said. "India's average temperature has risen by nearly 0

Delays in net zero will make heatwaves hotter, longer and more frequent

Heatwaves could be hotter, more prolonged and frequent, the longer countries delay in reaching net zero emissions, a balance between greenhouse gases emitted and those taken out from the atmosphere, according to a modelling study. Trends published in the journal 'Environmental Research: Climate' also indicate that heatwaves do not start to revert towards pre-industrial conditions for at least a millennium even after achieving net-zero targets. Regions in the Southern Hemisphere are projected to experience heatwaves of significantly increasing severity when net zero was modelled to occur by 2050 or later. Lead author Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick, professor of climate science at the Australian National University, said the work challenges a general belief that conditions after net zero will begin to improve for future generations. "While our results are alarming, they provide a vital glimpse of the future, allowing effective and permanent adaptation measures to be planned and implemente

BioE3 Mission highlights scale, collaboration in India's biotech drive

Industry leaders at the Bengaluru Tech Summit said India's BioE3 Mission can succeed only with rapid scale-up, stronger industry-academia partnerships and sharper focus on downstream capacity

SC's post-facto green nod rollback pulls core sectors 'back from brink'

Reversal restores 2017 and 2021 norms, reopening door to regularise past lapses

India unfolds priorities in Belem but yet to show its climate cards

2025 was among the 3 hottest years on record, accompanied by a record-breaking glacier loss, lowest Arctic sea ice on record and record increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide from 2023-24

Explained: Why Iran is facing its worst-ever water crisis in decades

Iran is facing its worst drought in nearly a century.

Environmentally sustainable mobility becoming a reality in India: Report

Environmentally sustainable mobility is no longer a distant goal, but a rapidly emerging reality, and there is a growing consensus among equipment manufacturers, governments and consumers on the issue, IESA said in a report. India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA), in its Automotive Electrification in India Market Report, highlighted key electrification trends in the country's automotive industry. As the world's fourth-largest automobile producer, India possesses the scale and potential to become a global leader across the automotive value chain. The Indian automotive sector stands at a pivotal juncture, with electrification and a renewed focus on sustainable mobility reshaping not only vehicle power trains but the entire ecosystem, the report said. "While petrol and diesel power trains continue to dominate, the increasing prevalence of sustainable mobility fuels, driven by enabling policies and growing awareness, underscores a growing consensus among OEMs, governments, and consumers

Himalayan glacial lakes, water bodies expanded 9% over 14 years: Govt

Glacial lakes and other water bodies in the Himalayan region have expanded by 9.24 per cent over the past 14 years, said a Central Water Commission (CWC) report, spotlighting the effects of climate change. The total inventory area of glacial lakes and water bodies increased from 5.30 lakh hectares in 2011 to 5.79 lakh hectares in 2025, it said. The Monthly Monitoring Report by the commission keeps track of water bodies in the Himalayan region. Its August iteration, which is yet to be made public, noted that shrinking glaciers and the expansion of glacial lakes have become some of the most visible signs of global warming in the region. The CWC said 1,435 glacial lakes and water bodies showed an increase in their water spread area, while 1,008 recorded a decrease over the 14-year period. The report said the commission monitors 2,843 glacial lakes and water bodies using high-resolution Sentinel satellite data through Google Earth Engine. Of these, 428 glacial lakes located within Indi

Indian-origin historian Sunil Amrith wins 2025 British Academy Book Prize

Sunil Amrith's 'The Burning Earth: An Environmental History of the Last 500 Years' wins £25,000 British Academy Prize', tracing 500 years of human impact on the planet

Bhupender Yadav calls on CoP30 to uphold multilateralism in climate action

He also highlighted the initiatives taken under PM Modi's leadership, which embody action-oriented and cooperative multilateralism

Centre proposes exemption for CEPTs, solid waste plants from prior approval

The government has proposed to exempt Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) and Common Municipal Solid Waste Management Facilities (CMSWMFs), including those having landfill sites, from the requirement of obtaining prior environmental clearance. According to two draft notifications issued by the environment ministry on October 1 and 3, the exemption will apply to both facilities, subject to environmental safeguards being implemented and monitored through the existing consent mechanism by state pollution control boards and pollution control committees. The ministry said CETPs and CMSWMFs are governed by strong regulatory frameworks under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, which ensure regular monitoring, inspections and mandatory reporting. The draft notification on CETPs noted that significant technological progress has taken place across industrial sectors such as pharmaceuticals, textiles, ...

CPCB must boost capacity to balance growth, green norms: Bhupender Yadav

Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Monday said the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) must focus on building capacity so that cities and industries can expand while ensuring compliance with environmental norms. Addressing an event to mark CPCB's 51st foundation day, Yadav said environmental protection "should not be treated like a panic button" but should become part of civic values and daily behaviour. He recalled that CPCB was set up in 1974 when environmental concerns were rising globally. "Today, we are in a period of major transformation. Our environmental regulation also needs to evolve. The challenge before CPCB is how to make its regulatory mechanisms relevant to society's needs, how to strengthen its capacity and how to ensure effective implementation," he said. Citing Delhi's growth, Yadav said the capital's population has increased from "about 30-40 lakhs (3-4 million) in the mid-1970s to nearly 4 crore (40 million) today, putting immense pressure on the ...

SC to rule on Sep 23 in suo motu matter over environmental conditions in HP

The Supreme Court on Monday said it would pass on September 23 its order in a suo motu matter concerning issues relating to ecology and environmental conditions prevailing in Himachal Pradesh. "List on September 23 for order. We will give you a brief order after summarising everything so that you can get specific instructions," a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta told the lawyers appearing for Himachal Pradesh. During the hearing, Himachal Pradesh's advocate general and additional advocate general informed the bench about a report filed by the state in the matter. Senior advocate K Parmeshwar, who is assisting the court as an amicus curiae in the matter, said the report filed by the state covered many aspects, including tree cover. On July 28, a different bench of the apex court had said the state might "vanish in thin air" if the situation did not change. Observing the situation in the state had deteriorated, the top court had said climate change was having a "visib

GST reforms to strengthen clean-energy transition: Environment minister

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Thursday described the government's overhaul of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as a "historic Diwali gift" that will strengthen India's clean-energy transition. In a post on X, Yadav said, "The GST rationalisation ensures that renewable energy remains the backbone of India's climate strategy." In another post, he termed the move "GST Reforms for a Green India" and said it would help advance clean and green power adoption, improve waste management, lower emissions and protect ecosystems, while maintaining fiscal balance. A steady adoption of solar, wind and waste-to-energy projects is critical for meeting India's Net Zero 2070 pledge and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, he added. The reforms, announced on Wednesday, include tax cuts on solar panels, wind turbines and related devices to reduce project costs and support domestic manufacturing, lower GST rates on effluent treatment services to boost ..

Forest rules amended to get approval for critical minerals mining: Minister

The government's National Critical Mineral Mission 2025 seeks to achieve self-reliance in the critical minerals sector, said Yadav at CII Sustainability Summit in New Delhi

Centre speeds approvals for critical minerals, no exemption from green law

The Environment Ministry has set up a separate category on its online clearance portal to speed up approvals for mining projects involving critical minerals, a move aimed at boosting domestic supply of resources considered essential for clean energy and advanced technologies, the government informed Parliament on Monday. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh said the Mines Ministry had in February requested faster clearances for such projects, following which the new facility was added to the Parivesh 2.0 portal on March 13. The step comes after amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, which gave the Centre powers to auction 24 minerals identified as critical and strategic. These include lithium, nickel, tungsten, titanium and graphite, which India largely imports but needs for sectors such as defence, electronics and renewable energy. So far, 34 blocks of these minerals have been auctioned acr

Negotiators fail to reach agreement in Geneva on plastic pollution treaty

Negotiators working on a treaty to address the global crisis of plastic pollution failed to reach an agreement in Geneva on Friday. Nations were meeting for an 11th day at the United Nations office in Geneva to try to complete a landmark treaty to end the plastic pollution crisis. They remain deadlocked over whether the treaty should reduce exponential growth of plastic production and put global, legally binding controls on toxic chemicals used to make plastics. The negotiations at the UN hub were supposed to be the last round and produce the first legally binding treaty on plastic pollution, including in the oceans. But just like at the meeting in South Korea last year, they're leaving without a treaty.

Developmental activities must ensure protection of environment, says SC

The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted six weeks to the Telangana government to come out with a "good proposal" for holistic restoration of Kancha Gachibowli forest site, saying the state government will have to replant the uprooted trees. A bench of Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran said the forest area needs be restored. The top court reiterated that it was not against development but the environment needs to be protected. "Time and again, court has observed that we are not against development but it has to be a sustainable development. While carrying out developmental activities, the interest of the environment and the wildlife has to be taken care of by ensuring mitigating and compensatory measures. if the state comes up with such a proposal we will welcome such a proposal," the bench said while posting the matter after six weeks. Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the Telangana government, submitted that that state is looking at the whole propos

$300 billion climate finance target by 2035 is insufficient: Centre

The government has expressed its disappointment with the outcome of COP-29 at Baku, saying the new global climate finance target of USD 300 billion annually by 2035 is "substantially insufficient" to meet the financing needs of developing nations. Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh said that the New Collective Quantified Goal on climate finance "does not address the needs and priorities of developing countries" and is "incompatible with the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC) and Equity". He cited estimates of the Standing Committee on Finance under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which place these needs between USD 5.1-6.8 trillion (equivalent to USD 455-584 billion) per year for up to 2030. The minister said that the categorisation of climate-related outflows and financial efforts by multilateral development banks as contributions to the U