New Delhi, March 21 (IANS) The Union government, on Saturday, commenced the International Conference on Carbon Markets -- Prakriti 2026 -- bringing together policymakers, industry leaders and global experts to deliberate on carbon markets and climate action.

The programme was organised by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency under the aegis of the Ministry of Power and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

According to the Union government, the conference is being held as part of the Bharat Electricity Summit 2026.

The event provides a high-level platform for national and international stakeholders to discuss the evolving dynamics of carbon markets, their role in climate mitigation and opportunities for India's green growth.

In addition, the Union government also launched the Indian Carbon Market portal in the presence of Union Minister for Power and Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar, Minister of State for Power Shripad Naik and other dignitaries.

The newly launched portal will serve as a central platform for implementing and administering the Indian carbon market.

Inaugurating the portal, Union Minister Khattar highlighted India's leadership in advancing climate commitments.

He said initiatives such as the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme, expansion of renewable energy, and energy efficiency programmes are helping build a transparent and credible carbon market framework that will serve as a long-term national asset.

"India has already established a carbon credit trading framework with nine notified methodologies and more than 40 registered entities undertaking projects in areas such as biogas, hydrogen and forestry," Union Minister Khattar said.

The Union Minister also urged businesses to view carbon markets not merely as a compliance requirement but as a strategic opportunity for innovation, investment and sustainable growth.

The two-day conference will feature sessions on global carbon markets under the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism, compliance frameworks, digital Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification technologies, carbon border policies, and integration of new sectors such as buildings and cooling into India's carbon trading system.

--IANS

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