India has made significant progress in environmental protection and ecological restoration over the past 12 years, supporting a long-term transition toward greener and more climate-resilient growth.

The authorities noted that key environmental parameters such as forest cover, interventions in air quality, waste management systems, energy transition and conservation of biodiversity "show significant transformation in sectors and regions". The assessment shows its importance on making sustainability a part of the national development planning.

A major success cited was the increase in forest and tree cover. Afforestation and ecosystem restoration programmes have contributed to an increase in forest and tree cover, helping restore ecosystems and boosting its carbon sequestration. The activities will be in line with India's participation with international climate change agreements and SDGs.

Targeted action plans have been initiated by many states and cities around the country with central guidance to monitor and improve air quality in the area of air pollution control. Improvements in air quality have been reported in several cities through the implementation of clean fuel policies, tighter industrial emission norms, and the promotion of electric mobility, and tighter industrial emission regulation, have been reported across several towns and cities.

The government also showcased the progress being made on renewable energy installation, with India holding a prominent position in the world in this field today. Policies supporting solar and wind energy and decentralised energy systems (DES) have enabled increased supply of energy and decreased dependency on fossil fuels, which mitigates greenhouse gas emissions.

Further evidence of improvement in environmental governance included solid and plastic waste management reforms (including expanding from single waste streams to source segregation, extended producer responsibility, and waste infrastructure). These are in addition to water conservation, efforts to rejuvenate rivers and programmes to protect biodiversity being carried out across the country.

Rise of sustainable lifestyle awareness and active participation of citizens and civil society organisations along with active participation of local governments in the community has set ground rules for sustainable lifestyles.

The government reiterated its plans for ongoing policy innovation, uptake of technologies and multi-stakeholder collaborations to further advance its efforts to ensure that economic development is sustainable, and cities and surrounding areas can continue to thrive tomorrow while maintaining ecological or environmental health for future generations.