Environment Law Monthly Updates – June 2025

Partner: Rajat Jariwal, Senior Associates: Gaurav Sharma, Prerna Singh, Associate: Dev Chand

The month of June 2025 was marked by the notification of forward-looking draft legislations and targeted policy interventions. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) issued the Draft Greenhouse Gases Emission Intensity Target Rules, 2025, outlining sector-specific emission intensity reduction mandates under the broader compliance framework of the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme, 2023. On the waste management front, the MoEF&CC proposed amendments to the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, introducing flexibilities in Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) requirements. Additionally, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) released draft guidelines for the storage and handling of waste solar photovoltaic modules, panels or cells, offering comprehensive procedures for environmentally sound handling of solar waste. At the State level, the Government of Delhi unveiled the Air Pollution Mitigation Plan, 2025, laying down an ambitious multi-sectoral strategy to address chronic air quality challenges in the National Capital Territory.

These key developments are discussed in detail below.

Draft rules for compliance with greenhouse gases emission intensity targets

The MoEF&CC notified the Draft Greenhouse Gases Emission Intensity Target Rules, 2025 on 23 June 2025 to specify greenhouse gases emission intensity (GEI) targets for obligated entities.¹ These rules follow the compliance mechanism specified under the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme, 2023 (Scheme) established by the central government.

The rules aim to reduce GEI by promoting the adoption of sustainable technologies in industries with conventionally high emission intensity, helping the achievement of India’s Nationally Determined Contributions. They outline sector-specific GEI targets for obligated entities and set timelines for achieving compliance against their baseline GEI.

Entities covered by these rules must register on the Indian Carbon Market (ICM) portal within a specified timeframe. They also need to submit the necessary documents according to procedures published by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency under the Scheme. If an entity falls short of its GEI targets for a compliance year, Rule 6 allows it to purchase carbon credit certificates from the ICM portal to cover the shortfall. The rules also provide a clear calculation method for entities to determine the required number of carbon credit certificates each year.

Failure to meet GEI targets or to submit equivalent carbon credit certificates for any shortfall will result in the obligated entity being liable to pay environmental compensation. This compensation will be imposed by the CPCB.

Proposed amendments to the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 for easing implementational challenges

On 3 June 2025, the MoEF&CC released a Draft Notification, proposing amendments to the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.² These amendments, to be enacted as the Plastic Waste Management (Second Amendment) Rules, 2025, aim to ease some difficulties in implementing guidelines pertaining to EPR on plastic packaging.

The proposed amendments introduce a key relaxation for producers, importers, and brand owners in respect of the use of recycled plastic content in plastic packaging employed in food contact applications. Such entities can now carry forward any shortfall in fulfilment of their mandatory recycled plastic content targets for 2025-26 for a period of three years starting from 2026-27, over and above the mandated targets for those years.

Draft guidelines for storage and handling of waste solar photovoltaic modules, panels or cells

The CPCB released Draft Guidelines for Storage and Handling of Waste Solar Photo-Voltaic Modules, Panels or Cells, inviting public comments by 25 June 2025.³ This move addresses a gap in India’s existing E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022, which regulate the handling, storage and disposal of waste electric and electronic equipment (EEE), by stipulating EPR for entities involved in the production, import and sale of such equipment. Presently, the rules do not provide for recycling targets in relation to waste solar photovoltaic modules, panels, or cells (Solar Waste).

These draft guidelines aim to provide crucial technical guidance for the environmentally sound transport, handling, and storage of Solar Waste, including their components, consumables, parts, and spares. By implementing effective controls against improper handling and disposal, the CPCB seeks to mitigate environmental risks such as heavy metal contamination, air pollution, and potential health concerns.

The proposed guidelines outline a structured approach to the collection and disposal of Solar Waste. They suggest that producers and manufacturers implement diverse collection mechanisms, including take-back schemes, to facilitate the collection of Solar Waste from consumers. Furthermore, transportation of these wastes should adhere to the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016. The draft guidelines also provide comprehensive instructions for the storage of Solar Waste, detailing specifications for stocking and stringent labelling requirements.

New air pollution mitigation plan notified for Delhi

On 16 June 2025, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) notified the Air Pollution Mitigation Plan, 2025 (Plan).⁴ This comprehensive plan details a range of measures to tackle air pollution and waste from various sources such as roads and open areas, construction and demolition activities, vehicles, and industrial operations.

The Plan introduces several innovative initiatives designed to significantly reduce air pollution across the National Capital Territory. Key measures include:

1. Dust mitigation:
1. Piloting cloud seeding in collaboration with IIT Kanpur to assess its effectiveness in dust reduction.
2. Deploying up to 200 mechanical road sweepers and water sprinkling machines, alongside 70 electric litter pickers and 20 dump vehicles, to neutralise dust.
2. Construction and demolition control:
1. Utilising Artificial Intelligence (AI) for oversight of construction and demolition activities, monitoring compliance through the DPCC’s C7D web portal 2.0.
2. Enforcing regulations through notices and penalties for projects exceeding predefined limits.
3. Increasing the processing and recycling of construction and demolition waste and promoting the use of recycled products in all government projects.
3. Vehicle emissions management:
1. Installing Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras with digital displays at Delhi’s border entry points to identify and enforce compliance for End-of-Life vehicles.
2. Establishing automated RFID-enabled cashless toll/cess collection at major border entry points, covering over 95% of incoming traffic.
3. Promoting electric mobility by deploying battery-operated public transport vehicles (like buses and e-rickshaws) and expanding electronic vehicle support infrastructure with additional public and semi-public charging stations.
4. Implementing intelligent road traffic management systems to reduce vehicle waiting times at red lights.
4. Waste management:
1. Conducting biomining at sanitary landfill sites.
2. Ensuring zero landfill fires through 100% liquidation of legacy solid wastes.
3. Increasing waste processing capacities, including expansion of the existing waste-to-energy plant at Okhla, and curbing biomass burning.

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[1] https://moef.gov.in/storage/tender/1750856052.pdf

[2] https://egazette.gov.in/WriteReadData/2025/263615.pdf

[3] https://cpcb.nic.in/openpdffile.php?id=UmVwb3J0RmlsZXMvMTc0NV8xNzQ5MDM0NjU5X21lZGlhcGhvdG8xMTY0Ni5wZGY=

[4] https://environment.delhi.gov.in/sites/default/files/environment/circulars-orders/air_pollution_mitigation_plan.pdf

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