India: Environmental Law

India generates an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 tonnes of plastic waste every day, of which a substantial share, approximately 10,556 tonnes daily, remains uncollected and enters landfills or the open environment. To address this, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (“MoEFCC”) has notified a national Extended Producer Responsibility (“EPR”) framework for plastic packaging under the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, as amended from time to time.

In its May 2026 judgment, the Supreme Court issued significant directions on stray dog population management, reinforcing the ABC Rules 2023. This article analyses the key implementation priorities for municipal bodies, state animal husbandry departments, and local administrators to ensure compliance with the Court’s directions on sterilization, vaccination, and responsible management.

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.