India: Environment

The long-term stability of India’s power sector depends not only on generation capacity and infrastructure growth, but also on the legal and regulatory certainty governing fuel supply arrangements. Power Purchase Agreements (“PPAs”), particularly those executed through competitive bidding under the Electricity Act, 2003, are structured on commercial assumptions relating to the long-term availability, pricing, and sourcing of coal.

Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) considerations have moved far beyond corporate sustainability reports and boardroom policy discussions. Today, ESG has become deeply embedded in infrastructure financing, project valuation, regulatory approvals, investment due diligence, and long-term asset bankability across India.

The Supreme Court's landmark decision addresses decades of illegal forest encroachments in the ecologically critical Agasthyamalai landscape, home to tiger reserves and globally significant biodiversity. Balancing environmental restoration with humanitarian rehabilitation...

The regulatory framework governing environmental governance in India has undergone significant evolution since the enactment of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. At the heart of this framework lies...

The Government of India is implementing the National Green Hydrogen Mission (“NGHM”), with an objective to make India a global hub of production, usage and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives. A global demand of over 100 (hundred) million metric tonnes of green hydrogen and its derivatives is expected to emerge by 2030.

The global imperative to combat climate change has catalysed the development of robust market-based mechanisms for carbon emissions reduction, and India has progressively aligned itself with this international...

In a seminal 2:1 verdict delivered on November 18, 2025, the Supreme Court of India allowed the Review Petition filed by the Confederation of Real Estate Developers of India (CREDAI)

In the January edition of our monthly newsletter "Legalaxy", our team analyses some of the key developments in securities market, corporate, finance and labour.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in India has amended the Uniform Consent Guidelines notified under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, and the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, as reported in a Press Information Bureau release on January 28, 2026.

In Bhopal Municipal Corporation v. Dr. Subhash C. Pandey & Ors., the Supreme Court of India transforms a municipal dispute into a nationwide directive on scientific waste management and environmental compliance. Reaffirming that the right to a clean environment is part of Article 21, the Court highlights India’s growing waste crisis and holds local authorities accountable as constitutional trustees of public health and environmental protection.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India ("MNRE") on February 25, 2026 issued the draft guidelines for quantifying greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions from offsite water drawal and treatment, for stakeholder comments until March 13, 20262. These guidelines inter alia provide for benchmark emission factors along with a mechanism for allocation/ determination of emissions during water treatment systems in order to ensure compliance with the Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme of India3 and alignment with ISO 19870:2023.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has proposed amendments to packaging regulations that would mandate pan masala manufacturers to abandon plastic-based packaging in favor of paper, cellulose, tin, or glass materials. This regulatory intervention harmonizes food safety standards with environmental protection mandates by incorporating provisions from the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, creating a comprehensive framework that addresses both public health and sustainability concerns. The dr