India Launches Green Credit Initiative to Strengthen Climate Action

India announces an innovative "green credit" initiative, an alternative to carbon credits, aimed at stepping up the fight against climate change through popular participation and environmental conservation.

Share:

Subscribe for unlimited access to all energy sector news.

Over 150 multisector articles and analyses every week.

Your 1st year at 99 €*

then 199 €/year

*renews at 199€/year, cancel anytime before renewal.

The “green credits” initiative unveiled by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi represents a turning point in global efforts to combat climate change. Unlike traditional carbon credits, often criticized for their effectiveness and integrity, “green credits” focus on voluntary environmental actions involving the community, private industry and individuals. This approach, focused on creating carbon sinks and restoring degraded land, promises a broader involvement and a renewed perspective in the fight against global warming.

Indian Innovation at the Heart of the Initiative

The project, launched in October by India’s Ministry of Environment, focuses on water conservation and reforestation projects. By creating an incentive market for environmental actions, India hopes to stimulate proactive participation in its sustainable development goals. India’s Foreign Secretary, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, points out that the initiative aims to restore the vitality of wastelands and river catchment areas, with an approach focused on tree planting and ecological regeneration.

International Response and Commitment of the United Arab Emirates

At the 28th COP in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates officially joined the Green Credit Initiative (GCI), and India called on other countries to follow suit. This marks international recognition of the importance of India’s approach, and underlines the evolution of strategies to combat climate change worldwide.

Challenges and prospects of the voluntary carbon market

The voluntary carbon market (VCM) has recently been rocked by criticism of the effectiveness of numerous projects, leading to a drop in liquidity and confidence. According to Platts, a division of S&P Global Commodity Insights, the price of nature-based carbon credits for 2023 has reached a record low of $4/mtCO2e. The “green credit” initiative thus appears to be a timely and potentially more credible response to these challenges.

India’s Green Credit Initiative, with its innovative and participatory approach, offers a new path for the environmental credit market. By bringing together technology, community and conservation, GCI could redefine the way we approach and respond to climate challenges, paving the way for more inclusive and effective action.

The South Korean government compels ten petrochemical groups to cut up to 3.7 million tons of naphtha cracking per year, tying financial and tax support to swift and documented restructuring measures.
The U.S. Department of Energy has extended until November the emergency measures aimed at ensuring the stability of Puerto Rico’s power grid against overload risks and recurring outages.
Under threat of increased U.S. tariffs, New Delhi is accelerating its energy independence strategy to reduce reliance on imports, particularly Russian oil.
With a new $800 million investment agreement, Tsingshan expands the Manhize steel plant and generates an energy demand of more than 500 MW, forcing Zimbabwe to accelerate its electricity strategy.
U.S. electric storage capacity will surge 68% this year according to Cleanview, largely offsetting the slowdown in solar and wind projects under the Trump administration.
A nationwide blackout left Iraq without electricity for several hours, affecting almost the entire country due to record consumption linked to an extreme heatwave.
Washington launches antidumping procedures against three Asian countries. Margins up to 190% identified. Final decisions expected April 2026 with major supply chain impacts.
Revenues generated by oil and gas in Russia recorded a significant decrease in July, putting direct pressure on the country’s budget balance according to official figures.
U.S. electricity consumption reached unprecedented levels in the last week of July, driven by a heatwave and the growth of industrial activity.
The New York Power Authority targets nearly 7GW of capacity with a plan featuring 20 renewable projects and 156 storage initiatives, marking a new phase for public investment in the State.
French Guiana plans to achieve a fully decarbonised power mix by 2027, driven by the construction of a biomass plant and expansion of renewable energy on its territory.
The progress of national targets for renewable energy remains marginal, with only a 2% increase since COP28, threatening the achievement of the tripling of capacity by 2030 and impacting energy security.
A Department of Energy report states that US actions on greenhouse gases would have a limited global impact, while highlighting a gap between perceptions and the economic realities of global warming.
Investments in renewable energy across the Middle East and North Africa are expected to reach USD59.9 bn by 2030, fuelled by national strategies, the rise of solar, green hydrogen, and new regional industrial projects.
Global electricity demand is projected to grow steadily through 2026, driven by industrial expansion, data centres, electric mobility and air conditioning, with increasing contributions from renewables, natural gas and nuclear power.
Kenya registers a historic record in electricity consumption, driven by industrial growth and a strong contribution from geothermal and hydropower plants operated by Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC.
Final energy consumption in the European industrial sector dropped by 5% in 2023, reaching a level not seen in three decades, with renewables taking a growing role in certain key segments.
Réseau de transport d’électricité is planning a long-term modernisation of its infrastructure. A national public debate will begin on September 4 to address implementation methods, challenges and conditions.
The Spanish Parliament has rejected a package of reforms aimed at preventing another major power outage, plunging the national energy sector into uncertainty and revealing the fragility of the government's majority.
The U.S. government has supported Argentina’s request for a temporary suspension of an order to hand over its stake in YPF, a 16.1 billion USD judgment aimed at satisfying creditors.

Log in to read this article

You'll also have access to a selection of our best content.

or

Go unlimited with our annual offer: €99 for the 1styear year, then € 199/year.