Lok Sabha Question No. 3262 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-20
Subject: Circular Economy Forum
Ministry: HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Ravindra Shukla Alias Ravi Kishan, Smt. Aparajita Sarangi, Shri Chhatrapal Singh Gangwar

- (d)

## MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3262

TO BE ANSWERED ON MARCH 20, 2025

## CIRCULAR ECONOMY FORUM

NO. 3262.  SHRI CHHATRAPAL SINGH GANGWAR:

SHRI RAVINDRA SHUKLA ALIAS RAVI KISHAN: SMT. APARAJITA SARANGI:

Will  the  Minister  for  HOUSING  AND  URBAN  AFFAIRS  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) the  manner  in  which  the  Government  is  planning  to  ensure  that commitments  made  at  the  Circular  Economy  Forum  translate  into actionable initiatives at the national level;
- (b) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to make India a global leader in the circular economy;
- (c) the  amount  of  the  public  funding  allocated  for  implementing  the
- circular economy initiatives discussed at the Forum; and
- the details of the expected financial returns from these initiatives?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS (SHRI TOKHAN SAHU)

(a) : The  12th  Regional  3R  and  Circular  Economy  Forum  in  Asia-Pacific was organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India in collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan, the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP),  the  United  Nations  Centre  for  Regional  Development  (UNCRD), United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), from 3 rd  March to 5 th  March, 2025 in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

It  has  been  held  with  the  objective  of  discussing  the  circular  economy policies, practices, strategies, regional cooperation and foster collaboration between governments, businesses, and civil society to accelerate the transition from traditional linear economy to more resource efficient and circular societies across Asia-Pacific. To promote the same and  to  reach  consensus  on  a  new  voluntary  and  legally  non-binding  3R (Reduce,  Reuse  and  Recycle)  and  Circular  Economy  Declaration (20252034) has also been adopted in the forum.

- (b)  :  India  is  leading  in  promoting  circular  economy.  Some  of  the  key initiatives amongst many others are:
- 1) Circular Economy Action Plans for 11 waste categories (Lithium-ion batteries;  E-waste;  Toxic  and  hazardous  industrial  waste;  Scrap metal  (ferrous  and  non-ferrous);  Tyre  and  Rubber;  End  of  Life Vehicles; Gypsum, Used Oil, Solar Panels, Agricultural waste  and Municipal Solid & Liquid Waste have been finalized.
- 2) Regulations incorporating market based Extended Producer Responsibility  (EPR)  principle  have  been  notified  in  respect  of plastic packaging waste, battery waste, e-waste, waste tyre, used oil and End-of-Life Vehicles:
- 3) As a party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Paris Agreement, India submitted its first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in the year 2015 comprising, inter-alia, of following two quantifiable targets:
- (i) To  reduce  the  emissions  intensity  of  its  GDP  by  33  to  35 percent by 2030 from 2005 level; and
- (ii) To achieve about 40 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030.

These two targets have been achieved well ahead of the time. In August 2022, India updated its NDC according to which target to reduce emissions intensity of its GDP has been enhanced to 45 percent by 2030 from 2005 level, and the target on cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil  fuel-based  energy  resources  has  been  enhanced  to  50%  by 2030.India  also  submitted  its  Long-term  Low  Emission  Development Strategy  to  achieve  net-zero  by  2070.  As  on  24 th July  2023,  India  has progressively continued decoupling of economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions. India's emission intensity of gross domestic product (GDP) has reduced by 24 per cent between 2005 and 2016. India's current share of non-fossil sources based installed capacity of electricity generation is more than 40%.

(c)  :    Jaipur  declaration  (2025-2034)  -  a  key  outcome  of  the  Forum,  is  a voluntary, non-binding and  non-political  commitment,  which  offers  a comprehensive  framework  for  transitioning  to  circular  economy  and improving  resource  efficiency  over  the  next  10  years.  The  declaration consists of 13 Goals focusing on resource management, resource efficiency and low-carbon society, achieving clean environment, resilient economies  and  means  of  implementation  via  partnerships,  technology transfer, research and development.The Declaration is a commitment for policy  directionality.  In  India,  along  with  policy,  financial  incentives  are also  provided  under  various  national  programmes  like  Swachh  Bharat Mission 2.0, AMRUT 2.0 etc.

(d) : Through a radical departure from the traditional 'take, make, waste' production and consumption models, the circular economy could provide a potential  $4.5  trillion  in  additional  economic  output  by  2030  world  over. With  respect  to  India  specifically,  it  is  estimated  that,  by  2050,  India's circular  economy  could  generate  a  market  value  of  over  $2  trillion  and create close to 10 million jobs.

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