A new study by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) revealed that India's coal-fired power generation fell by 3% in 2025 compared to 2024, marking the first year-on-year decline in half a century without pandemic influence. This shift highlights the rapid rise in clean energy sources like solar and wind, which outpaced overall power demand growth, signaling a potential peak in coal use and supporting India's climate goals.

Renowned ecologist and environmentalist Madhav Gadgil passed away at the age of 83 after a brief illness, leading to renewed discussions on his pioneering 2011 Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) report. This report highlighted the need for strict conservation in the ecologically fragile Western Ghats region, but it faced significant opposition from states and industries, resulting in its partial implementation through a diluted version.

On January 08, 2026, the United States announced its withdrawal from the UNFCCC, a broader step than just leaving the Paris Agreement. This decision could disrupt worldwide climate cooperation, reduce funding and technology sharing for countries like India, and allow China to take a bigger role in leading global climate actions during a time of increasing environmental challenges.

The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife has recommended reinstating the Rhesus Macaque under Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, to restore legal safeguards against cruelty, exploitation, and illegal trade, following requests from animal welfare organizations and deliberations on managing growing human-monkey conflicts across several states.

Delhi's air quality plunged to a 'very poor' level with an AQI of 301 on October 27, 2025, prompting the government to prepare for a cloud seeding operation on October 28 if weather permits, aiming to trigger artificial rain and flush out pollutants. In parallel, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) enforced a ban on non-BS-VI commercial goods vehicles entering the city from November 1, under GRAP Stage II, to curb rising vehicular emissions as stubble burning and post-Diwali haze intensify the annual winter pollution spike, affecting millions in the national capital.

The Himachal Pradesh government filed an affidavit with the Supreme Court on October 27, 2025, clarifying that logs seen floating in viral flood videos from Ravi and Beas rivers were uprooted trees from cloudbursts and landslides, not illegal felling. This addresses the court's September suo motu notice after August floods killed 320 people, amid rising fears of deforestation in the sensitive Himalayan belt, where climate change is making such events deadlier and more frequent.

A deep depression brewing over the southeast Bay of Bengal has intensified into the cyclonic storm Montha, marking the season's first major cyclone to threaten India's east coast. With landfall expected near Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh on the evening of October 28, 2025, states like Andhra Pradesh and Odisha have issued red alerts, closed schools, suspended fishing operations, and begun evacuations from low-lying areas. This development has triggered widespread preparations amid forecasts of extremely heavy rainfall exceeding 210 mm in 24 hours, strong winds up to 110 kmph, and rough seas, highlighting the urgent need for coastal resilience as the cyclone month unfolds.

The Supreme Court relaxed the absolute ban on firecrackers in Delhi-NCR, allowing the use of green crackers on a test case basis during Diwali. This order, passed by a bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, aims to find a middle ground between cultural practices and the growing public health crisis from air pollution, as complete bans have proven hard to enforce and led to smuggling of more harmful crackers.

The Supreme Court has relaxed the complete ban on firecrackers in Delhi-NCR for Diwali, permitting the sale and use of green crackers on a trial basis for two days from October 18 to 20, 2025, with specific timings, following requests from the Centre and considering enforcement challenges, to test if regulated use can balance cultural celebrations with air quality protection amid rising pollution concerns.

A recent modelling study published in the journal Human Reproduction predicts a 10.5% decline in India's twinning rate by 2100 due to falling fertility rates, yet the country will still account for the world's largest share of twin births (23.4%) owing to its massive population size. This has significant public health and demographic implications, as twins face higher mortality risks, and experts are calling for a national twin registry to study environmental factors like pollution alongside genetics, drawing parallels from China's approach to twin research.

In early September 2025, Punjab faced one of its worst floods in decades, affecting all 23 districts and damaging over 2 lakh hectares of farmland. A recent study by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) shows that the floods have changed soil texture and nutrient levels, raising worries about crop yields for the upcoming rabi season. However, experts see reasons for careful hope, as timely steps like soil testing and adding organic matter can help restore fertility and support wheat sowing starting in late October.

On October 9, 2025, the Supreme Court of India issued an order pausing all work on Haryana's proposed jungle safari park in the Aravalli hills, following a petition highlighting potential ecological harm. This decision comes amid growing debates on balancing development projects like eco-tourism with the protection of fragile ecosystems, especially in the Aravallis, which serve as a vital green barrier for northern India.

US President Donald Trump's recent speech at the United Nations General Assembly, where he labeled climate change predictions as the "greatest con job" and claimed they were made by "stupid people" costing fortunes, has sparked renewed scrutiny on the reliability of climate models. These tools are essential for forecasting climate impacts, including in India where erratic monsoons, heatwaves, and sea-level rise threaten agriculture, water security, and coastal communities, urging a deeper look into their workings and accuracy to inform policy and adaptation strategies.

The Indian government is advancing its nuclear energy goals by easing restrictions under the Atomic Energy Act, enabling private sector involvement in small modular reactors (SMRs). This development follows expressions of interest from major companies like Reliance Industries and Tata Power, aligning with India's target to scale nuclear capacity from 8 GW to 100 GW by 2047. The move, highlighted in recent policy announcements and budget commitments, addresses clean energy needs for industrial decarbonization and AI-driven data centers, positioning India in the global SMR value chain amid international collaborations with the US and Russia.

The Indian government is set to launch the National Camel Mission, a multi-ministerial initiative aimed at halting the drastic 75% decline in the country's camel population since 1977. This comes as part of broader efforts to conserve the "desert icon," support traditional herder communities like the Raika, and tap into economic opportunities such as camel milk production, amid concerns over ecological imbalances in arid regions like Rajasthan and Gujarat.

For the first time outside the COVID-19 years, India's power sector saw a 1% drop in CO2 emissions during January to June 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, as per a latest analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) for Carbon Brief. This milestone in the sector, which contributes nearly 40% of India's total greenhouse gas emissions, signals a potential early peak in power-related emissions by 2030, supporting the country's push towards 500 GW non-fossil capacity by 2030 and net-zero by 2070. The dip comes amid record renewable additions and milder weather, highlighting progress in India's clean energy transition.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has issued an office memorandum exempting mining projects for atomic, critical, and strategic minerals from mandatory public consultations under the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006. This step, reported by The Indian Express on September 11, 2025, responds to requests from the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), aiming to expedite clearances for minerals vital to national security, defence equipment, and atomic energy programs amid India's heavy import dependence. The move aligns with recent policy shifts to boost domestic production but has raised questions about environmental transparency and community involvement.

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has decided to invite public objections and reconsider the proposed boundary alteration plan for Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan, following Supreme Court criticism of the expedited approval process. This development, reported in The Indian Express on September 11, 2025, stems from concerns that the changes could allow over 50 closed mining sites to reopen near the reserve, potentially harming wildlife habitats and the Aravalli ecosystem. The court's August 6, 2025, hearing highlighted procedural flaws, prompting the ministry to issue a draft notification for transparency and compliance with legal requirements.

The Union government has approved the expansion of the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve in West Bengal by 1,044 sq km, making it the second-largest tiger reserve in India after the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve.