Parliament Question: Green Credit Programme

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3844 TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.03.2026 Green Credit Programme 3844. SHRI BRIJMOHAN AGRAWAL: Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state: (a) the current status of the Green Credit Programme (GCP), including land registered for plantations, State/UT-wise particularly in Chhattisgarh; (b) the mechanisms in place to monitor the long-term survival of saplings and ensure that credits are issued only upon achieving established ecological milestones like the 40 per cent canopy density; (c) whether the Government has a protocol to prevent "double counting" where land parcels already under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) or other afforestation Schemes registered for Green Credits; (d) the steps taken by the Government to involve local communities in the maintenance and protection of these plantations to improve survival rates; and (e) the measures being adopted to ensure that native biodiversity is prioritized over fast- growing exotic species in degraded forest areas? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH) (a) to The Green Credit Programme is an innovative mechanism to incentivise (e) environmentally positive actions and to promote the LIFE (Lifestyle for Environment) movement, which aims at encouraging sustainable lifestyles by driving community towards behavioural changes that support environment- friendly actions. The Green Credit Programme aims to increase green cover, enhance carbon sequestration, restore degraded lands and reduce carbon footprint through the adoption of environment-friendly technologies and practices. The Central Government has notified Green Credit Rules, 2023 on 12th October 2023 under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to encourage voluntary environmental positive actions resulting in issuance of Green Credits. Under the Green Credit Programme, the modality for tree plantation and eco-restoration of degraded forest lands has been notified on 22nd February 2024 and subsequently revised on 29th August 2025. A Green Credit Programme Portal (https://moefcc-gep.in/) has been developed for the purpose.The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, Dehradun is the Administrator under the Green Credit Programme and responsible for the effective implementation of the Green Credit Programme, including its management, operation and issuance of green credits under these rules. The Green Credit Programme aims to restore degraded forest lands through the active participation of public and private sector entities. The degraded forest land parcels proposed to be taken up under the Green Credit Programme are selected and registered by the State Forest Department after due verification on the ground. The land parcels selected under Green Credit Programme are verified by the Divisional Nodal Officer (DNO) and State Nodal Officer (SNO) to ensure that the degraded forest land parcels are neither taken up under existing plantation nor earmarked for afforestation under any other scheme, including compensatory afforestation, so as to prevent double counting under Green Credit Programme. Afforestation activities undertaken on such degraded forest lands are required to use a mixture of indigenous species based on site suitability. The Green Credits can be claimed by an applicant only after minimum five years of restoration work have been completed and a minimum canopy density of forty per cent has been achieved. A five-year establishment period is prescribed to allow the planted seedlings and natural regenerations to mature and develop adequate canopy cover, so as to achieve the prescribed 40 per cent canopy density, corresponding to a moderately dense forest. The "designated agency" designated under the Green Credit Programme shall conduct verification of the claim for the Green Credits and submit report to the Administrator as regard to the verification of the activities undertaken by an applicant for issuance of green credit. The forest lands restored under GCP can be exchanged for meeting Compensatory Afforestation requirements under the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980, its rules and guidelines thereunder. The forest restoration activities undertaken under the programme aim to enhance biodiversity and improve the productivity of forest resources. The restoration of degraded forest lands aims to benefit local communities by increasing the availability of timber, non-timber forest produce, fodder, water, and other ecosystem services. State-wise area of degraded forest area selected under the Green Credit Program for eco-restoration is placed at Annexure-I. *****Annexure-I Annexure referred to in reply of part (a) to (e) Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3844 due for answer on 16.03.2026 regarding ‘Green Credit Programme’ Details of State-wise area of degraded forest area selected under the Green Credit Program for eco-restoration Sl. No. State Area (in ha) 1 Assam 454 2 Bihar 460 3 Chhattisgarh 536 4 Goa 5 5 Gujarat 975 6 Jharkhand 302 7 Madhya Pradesh 640 8 Maharashtra 335 9 Odisha 257 10 Rajasthan 175 11 Telangana 155 12 Uttar Pradesh 97 Total 4391