CCTS for Chlor-Alkali, Paper and Textiles: What Plantation Can Do
Chlor-alkali, pulp and paper, and textile units now have CCTS emission-intensity targets. They cover 2025-26 and 2026-27, against a 2023-24 baseline. Tree plantation does not reduce a plant's emission intensity and does not count towards these targets. Plantation still helps with green belt conditions, CSR, BRSR disclosure and voluntary net-zero claims, alongside real emission cuts.
What was notified, and when?
On 8 October 2025, the government notified final targets for aluminium, cement, chlor-alkali, and pulp and paper. ICAP reports these cover 282 plants.
In January 2026, final targets followed for petroleum refining, petrochemicals, textiles and secondary aluminium, covering 208 entities. SolarQuarter reported that textile spinning and processing units are among them.
| Sector | Notified | Reported target range | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlor-alkali | 8 Oct 2025 | About 3.3% to 11% reduction in intensity | ICAP |
| Pulp and paper | 8 Oct 2025 | Up to 15% reduction in intensity | ICAP |
| Textiles | January 2026 | Unit-wise targets in the notification schedule | The Statesman |
ICAP notes the 2025 targets are back-loaded. About 40% of the required cut is due in 2025-26 and 60% in 2026-27.
How does CCTS measure performance?
CCTS is an intensity-based baseline-and-credit system. Targets are set as tonnes of CO2 equivalent per unit of product.
Units that beat their target earn Carbon Credit Certificates. Units that miss must buy certificates or pay environmental compensation.
What plantation cannot do under CCTS
- It does not lower the tonnes of CO2e per tonne of caustic soda, paper or yarn that the plant reports.
- It does not count towards the plant's GHG emission intensity target.
- It is not a substitute for buying Carbon Credit Certificates if the target is missed.
- Grow Billion Trees does not sell CCTS carbon credits from its plantations.
Our CCTS and tree projects guide covers the wider question of tree and mangrove credits.
What actually moves emission intensity in these sectors?
Intensity falls when the plant uses less energy or cleaner energy per unit of output. Typical levers are general, not sector rules:
- Chlor-alkali: electricity is the main input, so efficiency in electrolysis and cleaner power matter most.
- Pulp and paper: boiler and steam efficiency, chemical recovery, and fuel switching.
- Textiles: efficient motors and spinning, heat recovery in wet processing, and cleaner steam.
Your energy auditor and CCTS compliance advisor are the right people for these decisions. Plantation sits beside them, not in their place.
What plantation can do for these companies
| Need | How plantation helps |
|---|---|
| Green belt condition in an environmental clearance | Plant and maintain the required belt; see our green belt guide |
| CSR (Schedule VII) | Voluntary planting, agroforestry with farmers, water restoration; see our Schedule VII checklist |
| BRSR Principle 6 | Report trees, area restored and survival; see where it goes in BRSR |
| Voluntary net-zero claim | A supplement for residual emissions after real cuts, with estimated carbon reported transparently |
| Pulpwood supply (paper) | Farm forestry near mills, where farmers keep the wood income; see our farm forestry guide |
For how these routes differ, read green credits vs carbon credits vs CSR vs BRSR.
How to talk about plantation in your disclosures
- Report CCTS compliance and plantation in separate sections.
- Call plantation carbon an "estimate" and state the method.
- Report survival, not just saplings planted.
- Never net plantation carbon off against reported plant emissions under CCTS.
Timeline at a glance
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Apr 2025 | Draft targets for aluminium, cement, chlor-alkali, pulp and paper | ICAP |
| 23 Jun 2025 | Second notification for iron and steel, fertiliser, refining, petrochemicals and textiles | ICAP |
| 8 Oct 2025 | Final targets for the first four sectors (282 plants) | ICAP |
| January 2026 | Final targets for refining, petrochemicals, textiles, secondary aluminium (208 entities) | The Statesman |
| 2025-26 and 2026-27 | Compliance years, against a 2023-24 baseline | ICAP |
Fertiliser targets were proposed in June 2025. Check the latest notification for their final status.
A quick test for any plantation proposal
Before you approve a plantation budget, ask four questions.
- Which duty or goal does it serve: clearance condition, CSR, BRSR or voluntary net zero?
- Is it kept out of CCTS reporting?
- Who maintains it, and for how long?
- How will survival be measured and reported?
If the answer to the second question is unclear, fix that first. Mixing plantation into carbon market claims creates audit risk.
What to tell your board
Boards often ask whether trees can solve the carbon target. The honest answer is no, and saying so early protects the company.
Present two plans side by side. One is the CCTS compliance plan built on energy and process changes. The other is the nature plan: green belt, CSR forests, farmer agroforestry and water restoration, with its own budget and reporting.
How Grow Billion Trees helps
We plant and care for green belts, CSR forests and farmer agroforestry for three years, with geo-tagged records on GreenTrack and BRSR-ready reports. We work with 400+ corporate clients and report 85% survival across our programmes. See our chemicals, paper and textiles page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are chlor-alkali and paper plants covered by CCTS?
Yes. Final targets for chlor-alkali and pulp and paper were notified on 8 October 2025, for 2025-26 and 2026-27 against a 2023-24 baseline.
Are textile units covered?
Yes. Final targets for textiles, with refining, petrochemicals and secondary aluminium, were notified in January 2026 for 208 entities.
Can planting trees help us meet our CCTS target?
No. CCTS targets measure emissions per unit of output at the plant. Trees do not change that number.
What happens if a unit misses its target?
It must buy Carbon Credit Certificates or pay environmental compensation.
Then why plant trees at all?
For green belt conditions, CSR, BRSR Principle 6 reporting, community benefit and voluntary net-zero claims, alongside real emission cuts.
Does Grow Billion Trees sell carbon credits?
No. We do not sell CCTS carbon credits from these plantations. Any carbon figures we report are estimates.
Sources: ICAP: India notifies emission intensity targets under CCTS · The Statesman: targets for 208 more industries · SolarQuarter: GHG intensity targets extended to refineries, petrochemicals and textiles (28 Jan 2026). Last updated: October 2026. Rules change; check the latest notification before you rely on any detail.
Keep reading
CCTS Targets for Cement Plants: What They Mean and Where Trees Fit
Green Belt at Cement Plants: Dust, Dry Sites and Compliance
CCTS Targets for Iron and Steel Plants: What the Draft Means
Aluminium smelters and CCTS: what plantation can and cannot do
CCTS targets for refineries and petrochemicals: where trees fit
Farm Forestry and Agroforestry for Paper-Mill Wood Supply
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