The Lok Sabha on December 05, 2025, issued the Environment (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2024, further to amend the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
The following has been amended, namely: -
• The Bill seeks to amend the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, by inserting definitions for “circular economy” and “circular economy strategy,” embedding sustainable, resource-efficient production and reuse principles into the Act.
• It expands the Act’s scope to explicitly include planning and execution of circular economy strategies as part of environmental protection functions.
• A new section 16A is added to establish a Fund for Promotion of Circular Economy, to be contributed to by the Central and State Governments, for financing circular economy initiatives.
• The Bill also renames existing environmental funds in the Act to include the new Circular Economy Fund, aligning financial mechanisms with broader sustainability goals.
• These amendments aim to mainstream circular economy principles into India’s legal framework for environmental protection.
[Bill No. 244 of 2024]
