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Carbon Market (CCTS)

India's carbon market: what applies to your company

The CCTS sets emission-intensity targets for 490 obligated plants and lets other companies register offset projects. We help with the parts trees can genuinely support, and say plainly where they cannot.

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What does India's Carbon Credit Trading Scheme mean for my company?

India's Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), notified in June 2023, has a compliance mechanism and an offset mechanism. Its 490 obligated entities in seven sectors must cut emission intensity, and tree planting does not count towards those targets. Other companies can register projects under BEE-approved methodologies, such as mangrove restoration or afforestation, and receive certificates only after verification.

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Start here

Which side of CCTS are you on?

The scheme has two parts. What you can do depends on which one applies to you.

Obligated plant in a CCTS sector

Trees do not reduce your emission intensity or count to your target. We support green belts, reclamation, CSR and BRSR alongside it.

See what applies →

Offset project or certificate buyer

BEE has approved methods for mangrove and for afforestation on other land. We plant and monitor; verifiers and BEE handle certificates.

Mangrove restoration →

CCTS: what applies to your company

India's Carbon Credit Trading Scheme has a compliance mechanism for large plants and an offset mechanism for projects. The cards below show who each part applies to; here are the rules with sources.

Rule What it asks How plantation helps Source
GHG Emission Intensity Target Rules (MoEFCC, 2025-26) 490 obligated entities in seven sectors must cut emissions per unit of product against a 2023-24 baseline. Shortfalls are covered by surrendering certificates. No: trees do not reduce a plant's emission intensity and do not count towards its CCTS target. PIB: GEI targets for 208 more industries (Jan 2026)
Draft iron and steel targets (MoEFCC, 2026) A revised draft issued on 26 June 2026 covers 255 iron and steel units, with targets for 2026-27. It was open for comments for 60 days. No: like other sectors, steel targets are about emissions per tonne of product, not tree cover. Madhyamam: revised draft targets for iron and steel
CCTS offset mechanism (BEE, 2025) Non-obligated entities register projects under approved methodologies to receive certificates. Projects must start on or after 1 January 2025. Yes: BEE methodologies cover mangrove afforestation (BM FR05.001) and afforestation of non-wetland land (BM FR05.002). Certificates still depend on registration, verification and issuance. ICAP: India notifies targets, offset methodologies (Nov 2025)
Mangrove methodology BM FR05.001 (BEE, 2025) Projects must be on degraded mangrove habitat, with over 90% of the area planted with mangrove species. A monitoring plan must track carbon stocks. Yes: site choice, planting, survival care and monitoring records are the core of such a project. BEE: BM FR05.001 mangrove methodology (PDF)
Green Credit Programme, tree plantation (MoEFCC, revised 2025) Green credits for plantation on degraded forest land come after five years and at least 40% canopy cover. One credit is given per surviving tree. Yes: long-term care and survival records decide the outcome. Green credits are separate from CCTS certificates. Outlook Business (PTI): green credits linked to survival
BRSR Core (SEBI, 2023) Listed companies disclose core ESG indicators with assurance, phased in by market capitalisation. Partly: plantation, survival and biodiversity data support disclosures, but trees are not netted off plant emissions. SEBI circular: BRSR Core (12 July 2023)

If you are an obligated plant

Final targets now cover 490 entities in aluminium, cement, chlor-alkali, pulp and paper, refineries, petrochemicals and textiles. Iron and steel targets were still a draft at our October 2026 check, and fertiliser was pending in March 2026.

Trees do not lower your emission intensity, so the target needs process, fuel and power changes. Plantation still serves green belts, reclamation, CSR and BRSR. See cement, steel, oil and gas and chemicals, paper and textiles.

If you want to earn or buy certificates

BEE adopted its mangrove afforestation and reforestation methodology on 27 March 2025, and one for afforestation of non-wetland land on 8 September 2025. Accredited carbon verification agencies validate and verify projects. We build mangrove projects around the methodology and record them on GreenTrack, but we do not sell or promise credits.

CERC notified its trading regulations on 27 February 2026, and the Indian Carbon Market Portal went live on 21 March 2026. We had not seen an official start of exchange trading at our last check. Read how the offset mechanism works.

How this fits with Green Credits and voluntary markets

Green credits under the Green Credit Programme are a separate instrument from CCTS certificates. In voluntary net-zero claims, plantation is a supplement, never a substitute for cutting emissions. Compare them in green credits vs carbon credits vs CSR vs BRSR, or check your duties with the mandate checker.

CCTS timeline

Key steps so far. Dates are from official notifications; check the latest before you plan.

  1. 28 Jun 2023: Carbon Credit Trading Scheme notified (S.O. 2825(E))

  2. 27 Mar 2025: BEE adopts mangrove afforestation methodology BM FR05.001

  3. 8 Sep 2025: BEE adopts non-wetland afforestation methodology BM FR05.002

  4. 8 Oct 2025: Final targets for aluminium, cement, chlor-alkali, pulp and paper

  5. 13 Jan 2026: Targets for refineries, petrochemicals, textiles, secondary aluminium

  6. 27 Feb 2026: CERC notifies regulations for trading Carbon Credit Certificates

  7. 21 Mar 2026: Indian Carbon Market Portal launched at Prakriti 2026

  8. 26 Jun 2026: Revised draft targets issued for 255 iron and steel units

What we deliver

How we help

Planted, cared for for three years and reported on GreenTrack. We do not sell or promise carbon credits.

Credit-ready mangrove projects

Site selection, planting and three years of care, designed around BEE methodology BM FR05.001.

Mangrove restoration →

GreenTrack monitoring data

Geo-tagged trees, survival counts and site records that an accredited verifier can review.

See GreenTrack →

Green belts and reclamation

Green belts and mine or dump reclamation for obligated plants, alongside their emission cuts.

Green belt calculator →

Green Credit plantation

Support for Green Credit Programme plantations, planned for five-year survival and canopy checks.

Green credits explained →

How a CCTS programme works

Five steps, from finding your route to the records verifiers need.

  1. Check which side of CCTS applies to you

  2. Pick the route: plant duties, offset project or Green Credits

  3. Select the site and plan to the methodology

  4. Plant, care for three years and monitor on GreenTrack

  5. Verification by an accredited agency, where certificates are sought

What you get

  • Route recommendation
  • Site and species plan
  • Geo-tagged tree records
  • Monitoring data for verifiers
  • Survival checks and replacement
  • No promise of credits

Transparency

Check any tree we planted for you

Every tree we plant is geo-tagged and gets a certificate. Enter a certificate or order number to see it.

Have a certificate? Check your trees

Enter the number from your certificate or order email.

Questions about CCTS

Does tree planting count towards a plant's CCTS target?

No. CCTS targets measure greenhouse gas emissions per unit of product, so planting trees does not lower a plant's emission intensity. Plantation can still meet green belt, reclamation, CSR and BRSR needs alongside the target.

Which sectors have final CCTS targets?

Aluminium, cement, chlor-alkali and pulp and paper were notified in October 2025. Refineries, petrochemicals, textiles and secondary aluminium followed in January 2026, taking the total to 490 obligated entities.

Are iron and steel and fertiliser plants covered yet?

A revised draft for 255 iron and steel units was issued in June 2026 and was still a draft at our last check. ICAP's March 2026 update listed fertiliser targets as pending.

Can mangrove restoration earn Carbon Credit Certificates?

Mangrove afforestation and reforestation has a BEE methodology, adopted on 27 March 2025. A project must be registered, validated and verified by an accredited agency before BEE issues any certificates.

Does Grow Billion Trees sell carbon credits?

No. We plan, plant, care for and monitor projects, and share GreenTrack data with the project owner. Registration, verification and issuance sit with the project owner, accredited verifiers and BEE.

Can an obligated plant use offset certificates to meet its target?

ICAP's scheme summary lists offset use for compliance as not allowed at present. Check BEE's current procedures before planning on it.

Has trading of Carbon Credit Certificates started?

CERC notified its trading regulations in February 2026 and the market portal went live in March 2026. When we last checked, we had not seen an official announcement that exchange trading had begun.

How are CCTS programmes with Grow Billion Trees priced?

Programmes are priced per project after a site survey. Use the plan a programme page to share your site details.

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