Environment Audit Rules, 2025
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has enacted the Environment Audit Rules, 2025, aimed at enhancing environmental monitoring and auditing beyond the State Pollution Control Boards' remit.
Current Compliance Framework
- The monitoring and compliance framework is supported by:
- Central Pollution Control Board
- Regional Offices of the Environment Ministry
- State Pollution Control Boards/Pollution Control Committees
- Challenges faced by these bodies include:
- Lack of manpower
- Resource constraints
- Limited capacity and infrastructure
Objectives of the New Rules
- Address manpower and infrastructure deficiencies.
- Strengthen implementation of environmental compliance mechanisms.
- Allow private agencies to become accredited auditors, akin to chartered accountants, to evaluate environmental law compliance.
Environmental Regulation and Audits
- Environmental regulation is evolving beyond policing and bookkeeping.
- Human-caused climate change requires collective action, introducing new dimensions to regulations.
- Audits by agencies can assist in compliance with:
- Green Credit Rules - Earn tradeable credits for activities like afforestation, sustainable water management, and waste management.
Challenges and Future Directions
- Companies must account for direct and indirect carbon emissions, requiring complex accounting practices.
- Environmental compliance at local levels (district, block, panchayat) often lacks trained staff to notice infractions.
- The new regime should empower local levels to handle environmental compliance effectively.
