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illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Indian Express or enjoy below:
🗞️ Driving the news: India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has introduced the draft Greenhouse Gases Emissions Intensity (GEI) Target Rules, 2025, setting mandatory emissions intensity reduction targets for energy-intensive sectors like aluminium, cement, pulp and paper, and chlor-alkali industries
• Covering 282 industrial units, the Rules support the operationalization of India's Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) and are open for public feedback for 60 days
🔭 The context: India’s move follows its Paris Agreement commitment to reduce its emissions intensity of GDP by 45% from 2005 levels by 2030
• While India already runs the Perform, Achieve, Trade (PAT) scheme since 2012 for energy efficiency, the new GEI Targets specifically focus on GHG emissions reduction
• They also align India’s domestic carbon market framework with global emissions trading practices
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The GEI Targets incentivize industries to adopt cleaner technologies, fostering a transition towards low-carbon production across traditionally high-emission sectors
• By tying emissions reductions to marketable carbon credits, India aims to mainstream decarbonization into corporate strategy, although success will depend on enforcement and market liquidity
⏭️ What's next: Following the 60-day consultation window, the government will finalize and implement the Rules
• Industries must then develop compliance plans to meet their reduction targets for 2025–26 and 2026–27
• Carbon credits earned or traded will flow through the Indian Carbon Market under the Bureau of Energy Efficiency’s oversight, with penalties for non-compliance administered by the Central Pollution Control Board
💬 One quote: “The ultimate objective is to promote the adoption of sustainable, cutting-edge technologies across traditionally high-emission industries, for addressing climate change,” — the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change stated
📈 One stat: The new GEI Targets apply to 282 entities across four industries, including 186 cement plants and 13 aluminium plants, underlining the scale of transformation expected
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