CCTS sectors and timeline 2023-2027: what is final and what is draft

How did CCTS get here?

The legal base is a 2022 amendment to the Energy Conservation Act, 2001, as ICAP summarises. The scheme itself, S.O. 2825(E), was notified on 28 June 2023.

The Ministry of Power notifies the scheme, and the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) administers it. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) notifies sector targets under the Environment (Protection) Act.

For a short overview of both mechanisms, see our Carbon Market (CCTS) page.

Timeline, 2023 to 2026

Which sectors are in, and at what stage?

The thresholds below are minimum annual energy use, from ICAP's scheme page. Entities are moving across from the Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme using the same thresholds.

The PIB release of 22 January 2026 puts the compliance mechanism at 490 obligated entities. That is 282 from the first notification plus 208 from the second.

What is the status of iron and steel?

MoEFCC issued a revised draft on 26 June 2026, made public on 2 July, according to LKS. It lists 255 units and invites objections within 60 days.

Energetica India reports that the draft sets targets for 2025-26 and 2026-27 against a 2023-24 baseline. Down To Earth reads it as compliance starting in 2026-27, with reductions of 2.1% to 9.3%.

We found no final steel notification as of 8 October 2026. Treat every steel number as a draft. Our steel guide covers what the draft means for plants.

Compliance years and how the cycle runs

The first targets cover 2025-26 and 2026-27, with 2023-24 as the baseline. ICAP notes the first four sectors' targets are back-loaded: about 40% of the cut in year one and 60% in year two.

• Reporting: covered entities report within four months of the year end, that is by 31 July.
• Verification: by a carbon verification agency accredited by BEE.
• Banking: unlimited; borrowing is not allowed.
• Shortfall: CPCB can impose environmental compensation at twice the average CCC price for that year.
• Next targets: ICAP says new targets will be announced every three years.

When does trading start?

The Grid Controller of India runs the registry, and CCCs trade on power exchanges regulated by CERC. CERC's regulations were notified on 27 February 2026.

In February 2026 a BEE director told Business Standard, as cited by Outlook Business, that credits would be issued in October 2026. He expected trading from November to January.

We found no confirmed first trade as of 8 October 2026. Watch BEE, CERC and exchange notices.

What this means for plantation

None of these targets can be met with trees. Each target measures a unit's own emissions per tonne of product.

Plantation still has separate jobs: green belt conditions, mine reclamation, CSR, BRSR and voluntary net-zero claims as a supplement. Our mandate checker helps sort which rules apply to a site.

How Grow Billion Trees helps

We work with 400+ corporate clients on green belts, mine reclamation and CSR plantation across 14 states, tracked on GreenTrack. For non-obligated companies, we design mangrove sites around the approved offset methodology, without any credit promise. Programmes are priced per project after a site survey; plan a programme to begin.

Further reading: How the CCTS offset mechanism works · CCTS targets for cement plants

Sources: S.O. 2825(E), CCTS 2023 · S.O. 5369(E), offset amendment · ICAP: India notifies emission intensity targets · ICAP: Indian Carbon Credit Trading Scheme · PIB: GEI targets for 208 more industries (22 Jan 2026) · LKS: iron and steel revised draft · Energetica India: iron and steel draft · Down To Earth: iron and steel moves closer to CCTS · Mondaq: CERC CCC Regulations, 2026 · All India Radio: ICM portal launch · BEE: approved offset methodologies · Outlook Business: first carbon trading programme. Last updated: October 2026. Rules change; check the latest notification before you rely on any detail.