In an effort to make businesses more eco-friendly, India's government will provide more incentives and fewer regulations to those that adopt green energy and technology.
The country's Central Pollution Control Board issued a letter in February with revised rules that will score industries based on how well they use clean fuels and lower their pollution loads, Mongabay reported. As their scores improve, industries will earn star ratings.
The CPCB wrote that the "need was felt to promote/incentivize units for adopting measures resulting in better environmental performance."
Among the steps businesses can take to improve their scores are: treating and reusing wastewater, lowering the amount of fresh water used, and lowering their carbon pollution by using green energy and technology. A business's score will put it into a category that will determine how much monitoring and regulation it faces.
"Adoption of cleaner technology is needed, but inspections are necessary to ensure that these systems continue to work," environmental researcher Meenakshi Kapoor told Mongabay.
Air pollution is a massive, deadly problem across India. The country is home to a majority of the world's 30 cities with the worst air pollution, and New Delhi has the worst air quality of any capital city, according to the Clean Air Fund. This pollution is not just terrible for the environment, but it also causes more than 2 million deaths each year.
India is also responsible for 7.4% of the world's harmful carbon pollution each year, International Energy Agency data shows.
With that said, the country has taken some steps in the right direction. In 2022, the government banned several single-use plastics, including utensils, straws, and cups. And earlier this year, the country's largest floating solar plant, 642 acres in size, began operations. It is expected to produce nearly 205,000 megawatt-hours of power annually.
|
Do you worry about air pollution in and around your home? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Yes — always 💯 
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
