Delhi govt mulls green budget, to focus on holistic development

Delhi government plans a "Green Budget" to align development with environmental goals, focusing on sustainability and tracking climate-related spending.

The Delhi government is considering presenting a “Green Budget” this year, aimed at integrating environmental protection with the city’s development, officials familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

Officials said that this move would allow departments to classify environment-related projects within the budget.

According to officials, the proposed framework seeks to ensure that a dedicated share of the budget is directed toward programmes supporting environmental sustainability, including pollution control, clean energy, water conservation and biodiversity protection.

“Green Budget’s aims to align development priorities with environmental goals. It will help identify and track the government’s expenditure on sustainability measures,an official said.

Officials said that this move would allow departments to classify environment-related projects within the budget. Similar frameworks have already been adopted by several countries and some Indian states to track climate and environmental expenditure.

“The government is studying models of climate and green budgets implemented in other regions to understand how such a system can be adapted for Delhi. Increased investment in green sectors can also create new job opportunities and encourage technological innovation,” another official said.

The concept is also being explored from an economic perspective, as investments in sectors such as clean energy, electric mobility, waste management, among others could generate employment while encouraging the adoption of cleaner technologies, said the official.

Officials aware of the matter said Delhi has already taken steps in recent years to address pollution and environmental concerns. These include promoting electric vehicles, expanding solar energy installations, increasing green cover, strengthening waste management systems and encouraging water conservatiom, among others.

Currently the government is holding consultations with experts, environmentalists, policymakers to examine how the proposed framework could be implemented in Delhi.

The budget session is likely to start on March 16 and will last about two weeks.