Reducing particulate pollution through the power of markets
An unprecedented collaboration that proves it’s possible to reduce pollution, enhance profitability, and deliver vital health benefits to the people of India.
What they're saying
Rajiv Gupta
Chairman, Gujarat Pollution Control Board; Additional Secretary, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Gujarat
With this programme, we are kicking off a new era of cleaner production that would lower industries’ compliance costs and reward plants that cut pollution using low-cost methods. We believe that using this market-based system will contribute to rapid economic growth, ease the method of doing business, as well as help people breathe clean air.
Alok Shekhar
IAS Principal Secretary Industries & Commerce
The Government of Punjab is keen to combat environmental pollution through regulation that promises a win-win situation of cleaner production, coupled with lower compliance costs for industries. ETS is one such initiative that can help regulate critically and severely polluted industrial belts in Punjab.
Sanjay Jaiswal
Member of Parliament
The Gujarat government has started the world’s first emissions trading scheme for industries. Those industries which pollute less can sell emission caps and big industries which pollute more can buy those caps. This enables smaller industries to make a profit. I congratulate the Gujarat government for taking these steps.
Siddharth Goel
Founder & CEO, Rethinking Public Policy
The scheme is a departure from the traditional command and control approach to environment regulation. The past approach failed to curb emissions and instead bred a culture of non-compliance among companies. The pilot’s success could lead to the adoption of market-based approaches in tackling India’s other environmental challenges.
Rohini Pande
the Henry J. Heinz II Professor of Economics; Director, Economic Growth Center at Yale University
The implementation of the pilot ETS demonstrates remarkable foresight and imagination from Indian regulators and industry who are now using cutting-edge technology and economic techniques to balance the twin objectives of economic growth and air quality improvement.
Michael Greenstone
Milton Friedman Distinguished Service Professor in Economics; Director, Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
