NGT orders MoEF&CC to develop national plan for asbestos roof removal in schools
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to formulate a comprehensive policy within six months to phase out asbestos roofs from educational institutions across the country. This directive stems from an application highlighting that asbestos, even at low levels, poses significant health risks, including lung diseases and cancer, to occupants, especially vulnerable groups like children. The NGT emphasized the precautionary principle, stating that in the face of scientific uncertainty regarding safety, the benefit of the doubt must go to public health.
The MoEF&CC acknowledged that asbestos is a hazardous substance and that its exposure can occur during weathering or demolition. However, various Ministries provided conflicting views. The Fibre Cement Products Manufacturers Association (FCPMA) argued that asbestos-cement sheets are safe as the fibres are "locked in cement" and meet BIS standards. Conversely, the applicant presented scientific studies warning that children and young people should not use buildings with asbestos, regardless of their "physical condition." The Tribunal ultimately rejected the industry's objections, reiterating that continued use in housing environments not yet banned in India constitutes an irreversible harm.
To implement the phase-out, the NGT has ordered the MoEF&CC, in consultation with the CPCB and the Ministry of Education, to establish a timeline, prepare Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for safe removal and disposal, and replace asbestos roofing with safe alternatives. The Ministry is also tasked with conducting a nationwide survey to identify all schools using asbestos roofs, submitting a status report within six months, and running public awareness campaigns about the hazards of asbestos. (ANI)
Turning up the heat: India’s first national geothermal energy policy unveiled
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) introduced India's first national policy on geothermal energy on September 15, 2025. This policy is a crucial step to diversify the energy portfolio and accelerate the clean energy transition, directly supporting India’s net-zero emissions target by 2070. Geothermal energy utilizes both high-enthalpy resources for electricity generation and low to medium-enthalpy resources for direct-use applications like heating and cooling. The policy maps key geothermal provinces across 10 regions, building on initial projects like the utilization of abandoned oil fields in Barmer, Rajasthan.
The Policy outlines a comprehensive Implementation Roadmap supporting various technologies, including the binary cycle for power and advanced methods like Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS). The MNRE will establish a single-window support system and a geothermal data repository to streamline project development. Geothermal projects will be integrated into the existing renewable energy framework, benefiting from support mechanisms like inter-state grid access, RE Must-Run Rules, and eligibility for the Indian carbon credit trading scheme.
To ensure financial viability, the government is considering Fiscal Incentives such as import duty and GST exemptions on equipment, alongside tax holidays. Funding mechanisms will include long-term concessional loans and viability gap funding. Crucially, the policy plans to explore mechanisms for sharing geological exploration risks with developers. This comprehensive framework establishes geothermal energy as a reliable baseload renewable source, significantly enhancing India’s energy security and contributing to its climate goals. (Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas)
BRSR is not enough: India needs sector-wise ESG metrics
India's mandatory Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report (BRSR) for top listed companies needs an urgent upgrade. While it covers basic metrics like energy and water, it critically misses material environmental risks specific to India, such as climate physical risk and adaptation (e.g., floods, heatwaves), a detailed plastic footprint, and vital occupational air quality and community noise levels. The current generic format hinders effective risk assessment, making it necessary to move from a general checklist to a sector-specific, risk-based disclosure framework to safeguard both communities and capital.
The BRSR’s partial alignment with global standards like the ISSB IFRS S2 is a major gap. Global investors demand disclosures on governance and asset-level resilience against climate hazards, which the current BRSR lacks. For instance, the BRSR asks for waste tonnage but omits the necessary plastic footprint by polymer type, which is key for recyclability efforts. Similarly, neglecting workplace air quality ignores a significant silent ESG liability (e.g., silicosis), which affects worker health, productivity, and future contingent liabilities.
To enhance financial materiality, the BRSR must undergo structural changes. This involves converging with ISSB/TCFD for comparability while tailoring metrics to India's context. Key steps include adding a Climate-Risk & Adaptation schedule (with asset-level hazards), mandating plastic footprint disclosure for relevant sectors (FMCG, retail), and requiring occupational air quality monitoring in industrial sectors. By focusing on fewer, auditable, and sector-specific indicators, India can lower the cost of capital, curb greenwashing, and align its reporting with global market expectations. (Policy Circle Bureau)
Centre eases ‘Per Drop More Crop’ Rules, gives states more power to design water projects
The Centre has significantly revised the 'Per Drop More Crop' (PDMC) scheme to give States and Union Territories (UTs) much greater flexibility in designing and funding local water conservation initiatives. This strategic decentralization aims to boost the adoption of micro-irrigation by allowing projects to be precisely tailored to the unique water challenges of a specific region. The core objectives remain to drastically improve water-use efficiency, enhance crop yields, and ultimately increase the income of farmers in water-stressed areas across the country.
This enhanced flexibility is most evident in the revised guidelines for micro-level water storage and conservation projects under the scheme, often referred to as "Other Interventions." States can now freely implement local measures such as constructing 'diggis' (small water storage tanks) and establishing rainwater harvesting systems to ensure a reliable water supply. These systems are crucial as they can benefit both individual farmers on their plots and entire communities, thereby providing the necessary foundation for widespread modern micro-irrigation practices.
A key and transformative change is the removal of previous funding caps on these water conservation activities. Earlier, general states could allocate only up to 20% of their total PDMC funds for such projects, while special category states (North-Eastern, Himalayan, J&K, and Ladakh) were limited to 40%. The new framework removes these rigid limits, empowering states to exceed the previous caps based on on-the-ground requirements. This acknowledgment of India’s diverse hydrological realities is expected to be transformative by accelerating efficient water management and the adoption of water-saving micro-irrigation systems. (Krishi Jagran)
The critical juncture of India's battery circular economy
India's swift clean energy transition, marked by surging EV sales and 179 GW of renewable capacity, has created massive demand for lithium-ion batteries, with requirements projected to jump from 4 GWh in 2023 to 139 GWh by 2035. This growth presents an urgent environmental challenge, as poor management of battery waste could lead to over $1 billion in foreign exchange losses by 2030 due to reliance on imported critical minerals. The Battery Waste Management Rules (BWMR) 2022 introduced Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) to hold manufacturers accountable, setting a goal of a 70% recycling rate within five years. However, this policy ambition is undermined by the current reality: only about 1% of lithium-ion batteries are formally recycled, highlighting a significant disconnect between regulation and a functioning recycling ecosystem.
The most significant gap preventing the formal recycling sector from thriving is the inadequate EPR floor price. This minimum compensation for recyclers is substantially lower than international benchmarks—reportedly less than one-fourth of the rates seen in countries like the UK. This commercially unviable pricing prevents legitimate recyclers from recovering the costs associated with advanced hydrometallurgical technology, skilled labour, and environmental compliance. Consequently, the market is incentivized to rely on cost-cutting informal operators or fraudulent activities, which often result in unsafe battery disposal. Establishing a realistic floor price is crucial to formalize the $3.5 billion market opportunity and prevent environmental compromise.
To fully realize a sustainable circular economy, India must move beyond mere regulatory ambition toward robust enforcement and infrastructure investment. Proper recycling can meet up to 80% of India's lithium and cobalt needs by 2030, significantly boosting resource security. Achieving this requires a multi-pronged approach: setting EPR floor pricing that reflects actual recycling costs, implementing strict digital tracking and penalties for non-compliance, and strategically integrating the informal sector through training and certification. Furthermore, the government must extend incentives, similar to the PLI scheme for cell manufacturing, to build decentralized recycling infrastructure and support indigenous technology, ensuring the clean energy shift benefits both the environment and the economy. (Techgraph)
This is a roundup of policy updates from October 15, 2025 to October 31, 2025. Read our news updates here