India Launches Green Credit Programme to Enhance Forest Restoration
The Indian government has unveiled the Green Credit Programme, an innovative initiative designed to encourage environmentally responsible actions nationwide. This program aligns with Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), which promotes sustainable lifestyles through community-driven behavioral changes that support eco-friendly practices. The primary goals of the Green Credit Programme include increasing green cover, enhancing carbon sequestration, restoring degraded lands, and reducing carbon footprints by adopting environmentally friendly technologies and practices.
On October 12, 2023, the Central Government officially notified the Green Credit Rules, 2023 under the Environment (Protection) Act of 1986. These rules aim to motivate voluntary actions that yield positive environmental impacts and facilitate the issuance of Green Credits. As part of this initiative, modalities for tree plantation and the ecological restoration of degraded forest lands were established on February 22, 2024, and further revised on August 29, 2025. A dedicated portal, Green Credit Programme Portal, has been launched to streamline these processes.
Forestry Education Council Takes the Lead
The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, based in Dehradun, has been appointed as the Administrator for the Green Credit Programme. This body is tasked with overseeing the effective implementation, management, and operation of the programme, including the issuance of Green Credits.
Community Participation and Benefits
The programme emphasizes the importance of involving both public and private sector entities in the restoration of degraded forest lands. The State Forest Department is responsible for selecting and registering these lands after thorough ground verification. Applicants can claim Green Credits after completing a minimum of five years of restoration work, during which at least a 40% canopy density must be achieved. This five-year period allows seedlings to grow and develop sufficient canopy cover, aligning with the criteria for a moderately dense forest.
Through the restoration activities supported by the Green Credit Programme, biodiversity is expected to flourish and the productivity of forest resources will be significantly enhanced. The initiative also aims to benefit local communities by improving access to valuable resources such as timber, non-timber forest products, fodder, and water, alongside various ecosystem services.
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