Reforms to Enhance the Credibility and Future Readiness of India’s Carbon Market

TIC Council India has released a new position paper with a set of recommendations aimed at improving the credibility, efficiency, and global acceptance of the Indian Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS). These proposals are designed to reduce unnecessary burdens on businesses, make verification more reliable, and ensure India’s carbon credits are recognised internationally.

TIC Council India highlights that the current rules can be simplified and better aligned with global practices. Improving the system, it notes, will not only boost confidence in India’s carbon market but also help the country advance towards its long-term climate goals.

Key recommendations include:

• Aligning India’s verification rules with global standards to ensure that Indian carbon credits are accepted internationally and remain legally robust.
• Clarifying the roles of key authorities by having the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) focus on setting rules and overseeing the scheme, while the national accreditation body (NABCB/QCI) handles accreditation of verification organisations.
• Simplifying the approval process for verifiers by allowing organisations already accredited under recognised international climate standards to receive provisional approval, reducing administrative burden.
• Shifting to a skills-based approach for verification teams so that experts with relevant technical knowledge from different industries can contribute, rather than limiting eligibility to specific energy auditor qualifications.
• Ensuring alignment with India’s net-zero goals by encouraging climate authorities to follow global best practices that strengthen transparency, oversight, and long-term credibility.

These reforms would strengthen the foundation of the CCTS, support smooth business participation, and help India build a trusted, future-ready carbon market. Read the full paper here.