NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has taken up environmentalists’ concerns over inadequacies in the Green Credit Rules (GCR) of 2023 and sought the response of the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). The shortcomings could adversely affect India’s forest conservation efforts and compromise the rights of Indigenous people, green groups have argued. The MoEFCC has requested additional time to provide a detailed reply.
The GCR 2023, notified in February 2024, pertains to the granting of green credits for the plantation of tree species by corporations or entities. The rules are designed to incentivise environmentally positive actions through a market-based mechanism, allowing for the generation of green credits. These credits will be tradable in the market alongside carbon emissions.
However, environmental groups, such as Haryana-based People’s Group for Aravalli and Goa-based Rainbow Warrior, filed a petition against the GCR, saying itwill ruin India’s important forest landscapes, such as the 692-km Aravalli Ranges spread over four states and biodiversity hotspots, such as the Western Ghats.
The apex court took up the first hearing on March 4, directing MoEF&CC to file a detailed response. The petitioners argued that GCR exempts entities from planting tree saplings to get green credit only on the basis of species plantation. Entities don’t have a responsibility to ensure the “survival” and “maintenance” of trees.
The major concern with such afforestation is the low survival rate. Evidence shows that survival rates range between 6% and 30% of the trees, which is contrary to the intention of such plantations. Different CAG reports showed that only 10% of trees survived in Madhya Pradesh, 28% in Uttar Pradesh, and 10% in J&K under afforestation programs. Even former Union Minister MoEF&CC, Prakash Jadekar, had lamented entities for the low survival rate of trees.
“Given this, grant of green credits only based on plantation defeats the purpose for which the green credit scheme was launched, i.e., to increase the green cover in the country,” argued Neelam Ahluwalia, founder member of People for Aravallis group and one of the petitioners. Further, the GCR rules allow the plantation of 1100 trees per hectare without any scientific study in fragile ecosystems such as open forests, scrublands, wastelands, and catchment areas.
Experts say such dense plantations would only promote monoculture and increase the chances of pest infestations. They also disrupt ecological interactions.