MoEFCC Year End Review 2025: Strengthening Forest Conservation and Global Climate Leadership
SDG 13: Climate Action | SDG 15: Life on Land | SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) | National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) | Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE)
The Ministry of Environment’s Year End Review 2025 highlights a year of decisive climate action and biodiversity protection, reinforcing India’s role as a global leader in environmental governance. A major milestone was the launch of the Green Credit Programme (GCP) under the Mission LiFE initiative, which has operationalized a market-based mechanism to incentivize voluntary environmental actions across the country.
Key strategic achievements and wildlife milestones include:
Green Credit Success: Over 10,000 hectares of degraded land across 10 states were registered for tree plantation under the GCP, creating a new paradigm for ecological restoration.
Wildlife Protection: India celebrated a historic rise in the tiger population, reaching 3,925 individuals, and successfully operationalized the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) to share conservation expertise with 96 range countries.
Wetland Restoration: Under Amrit Dharohar, the number of Ramsar Sites in India increased to 85, covering over 1.3 million hectares and strengthening the biological buffer against climate shocks.
Circular Economy: The Ministry notified Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) guidelines for six new waste categories, including used oil and textiles, to accelerate India’s transition to a zero-waste economy.
Global Leadership: At COP30, India spearheaded the Global Green Credit Initiative, attracting participation from over 50 nations to create international standards for environmental credits.
What is the Green Credit Programme (GCP)? It is an innovative, market-based mechanism launched by the MoEFCC to incentivize voluntary environmental actions by individuals, communities, and private industries. Unlike traditional carbon credits, Green Credits are issued for a broader range of activities—such as water conservation, afforestation, and waste management—and can be traded on a dedicated exchange, allowing companies to fulfill their corporate social responsibility and legal obligations through verified ecological restoration.
Policy Relevance & Future Roadmap
The 2025 review validates India’s shift toward “Nature-Positive Growth”, where environmental preservation is integrated into the national economic framework rather than being treated as a compliance hurdle. By leveraging digital monitoring and AI-driven forest fire alerts, the Ministry has improved the response time for ecological threats by 40%.
Future Roadmap (2026–2030):
MISHTI Expansion: The government plans to restore an additional 540 sq. km of mangroves across nine coastal states to protect blue carbon ecosystems and coastal communities.
National Carbon Market: Full operationalization of the India Carbon Market (ICM) to link domestic emissions trading with the global Article 6 framework of the Paris Agreement.
Project Cheetah Phase II: Introduction of cheetahs into new habitats in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh to establish a self-sustaining population of 50+ individuals by 2030.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How will the MoEFCC ensure the ‘fungibility’ of Green Credits with Carbon Credits to provide a dual-revenue stream for smallholder farmers engaged in agroforestry and wasteland restoration?
Follow the full news here: MoEFCC Year End Review 2025