National Environment Policy

The objectives of the National Environment Policy (2006) are mentioned below:

1. To protect and conserve critical ecological systems and resources, and invaluable natural and man-made heritage, which are essential for life support, livelihoods, economic growth, and a broad conception of human well-being.
2. To ensure equitable access to environmental resources and quality for all sections of society, and in particular, to ensure that poor communities, which are most dependent on environmental resources for their livelihoods, are assured secure access to these resources.
3. To ensure judicious use of environmental resources to meet the needs and aspirations of the present and future generations.
4. To integrate environmental concerns into policies, plans, programmes, and projects for economic and social development.
5. To ensure efficient use of environmental resources in the sense of reduction in their use per unit of economic output, to minimise adverse environmental impacts.
6. To apply the principles of good governance (transparency, rationality, accountability, reduction in time and costs, participation, and regulatory independence) to the management and regulation of use of environmental resources.
7. To ensure higher resource flows, comprising finance, technology, management skills, traditional knowledge, and social capital, for environmental conservation through mutually beneficial multi-stakeholder partnerships between local communities, public agencies, the academic and research community, investors, and multilateral and bilateral development partners.