Lok Sabha Question No. 3909 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-16
Subject: Notification of Designated National Authority
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri G Kumar Naik

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3909

TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.03.2026

## Notification of Designated National Authority

## 3909. SHRI G KUMAR NAIK:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether a Designated National Authority (DNA) has been notified for implementation of carbon market mechanisms under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and if so, the mandate and scope of activities approved so far;
- (b) whether rules and guidelines governing the issuance of Letters of Authorisation, application of  corresponding  adjustments  and  legal  and  regulatory  oversight  for  Article  6  carbon trading  have  been  finalised,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  if  not,  the  timeline  proposed therefor;
- (c) the average time taken for registration and approval of voluntary carbon market projects in the country during the last five years, category-wise, including Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) projects and the comparision with other Asian countries; and
- (d) the  steps  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  reduce  procedural  delays  and  provide regulatory certainty to encourage credible carbon market participation in the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a) &  (b)  The  Government  has  notified  the  National  Designated  Authority  for  the Implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement (NDAIAPA), vide S.O.2504 (E), dated 30th May 2022 and subsequent  amendment vide G.S.R. 569 (E) dated  22nd Aug  2025,  to ensure effective operationalization of Article 6 mechanisms of the Paris Agreement.

The National Designated Authority's functions include issuing directions with respect to the matters relating to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement; recommend to the Central Government the list of activities that can be considered for the trading of emission reduction units from projects under Article  6.2  and Article  6.4  of  the  Paris Agreement;  receive  projects  or  activities  for evaluation, approval and authorization by the host Party at various stages of the project cycle under Article 6.2 and Article 6.4 mechanisms among others.

The Authority has updated and finalized the list of 13 activities under Green House Gas (GHG) mitigation,  alternate  materials,  and  removal  activities,  which  are  eligible  for  trading  of international  carbon  credits  under  bilateral/  cooperative  approaches,  under Article  6.2  and Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement.

Government of India has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with Government of Japan on Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

(c) & (d) The voluntary carbon market projects, such as those registered under Verra and Gold Standard, are developed, managed, and governed by private sector entities. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change does not maintain records of these projects.

Government has also notified the 'National Framework for Indian Carbon Market (ICM) i.e. Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) in 2023. The primary objective of CCTS is to create India's domestic carbon market, thereby supporting the nation's goals of combating climate change and promoting low-carbon development.

In order to reduce procedural delays and provide regulatory certainty for credible participation under the CCTS, the Government has taken various steps. For both the mechanisms under CCTS i.e. Compliance Mechanism and Offset Mechanism, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has issued the Detailed Procedure for Compliance Mechanism under Carbon Credit Trading Scheme  (CCTS),  establishing a  comprehensive  Measurement,  Reporting  and Verification (MRV) framework to ensure accurate and transparent compliance. BEE has also released the Accreditation Procedure and Eligibility Criteria for Accredited Carbon Verification Agencies and the Detailed Procedure for Offset Mechanism under CCTS.

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