GCP and Ecomark scheme

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has introduced two pioneering initiatives that indicate the country’s pro-active approach to climate change, sustainability and promotion eco-conscious practices.
• These are the Green Credit Program (GCP) and the Ecomark Scheme

ABOUT GREEN CREDIT PROGRAM (GCP)

• It is an innovative market-based mechanism designed to incentivize voluntary environmental actions across diverse sectors, by various stakeholders like individuals, communities, private sector industries, and companies.
• The GCP’s governance framework is supported by an inter-ministerial Steering Committee and The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) serves as the GCP Administrator, responsible for program implementation, management, monitoring, and operation.
• In its initial phase, the GCP focuses on two key activities: water conservation and afforestation.
• A user-friendly digital platform will streamline the processes for registration of projects, its verification, and issuance of Green Credits.
• The Green Credit Registry and trading platform, being developed by ICFRE along with experts, would facilitate the registration and thereafter, the buying and selling of Green Credits.

ABOUT ECOMARK SCHEME

• The Ecomark Scheme notified recently replaces the previous Notification(1991).
• It provides accreditation and labelling for household and consumer products that meet specific environmental criteria while maintaining quality standards as per Indian norms.
• Products accredited under the Ecomark Scheme will adhere to specific environmental criteria, ensuring minimal environmental impact.
• It will build consumer awareness of environmental issues and encourage eco-conscious choices.
• It will also motivate manufacturers to shift towards environmentally friendly production.
• The Central Pollution Control Board administers the Ecomark Scheme in partnership with Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which is the national body for standards and certification.