BRIDGING THE GAP: TOOLS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND THE ROAD TO SUSTAINABLE INDIA

AUTHOR – ADITI SINGH* & ABHISHEK MISHRA**

* STUDENT AT AMITY UNIVERSITY, LUCKNOW

** ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT AMITY UNIVERSITY, LUCKNOW

BEST CITATION – ADITI SINGH & ABHISHEK MISHRA, BRIDGING THE GAP: TOOLS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND THE ROAD TO SUSTAINABLE INDIA, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 5 (6) OF 2025, PG. 397-404, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344

ABSTRACT

The development and execution of important environmental policy tools in India are examined in this article from the perspective of environmental law, with an emphasis on the ways in which legislative and regulatory frameworks can provide forward-thinking incentives for compliance. It critically assesses five key policy tools: the Wildlife Conservation Strategy (2002), the National Forest Policy (1988), the National Water Policy (2002), the National Environment Policy (2006), and the National Action Plan on Climate Change (2008). Each is evaluated according to its regulatory reach, legal underpinnings, and ability to operationalize environmental goals through participatory and enforceable processes.

To investigate how closely these tools adhere to the concepts of environmental justice, intergenerational equity, and sustainable development, the study uses a doctrinal and policy analysis approach. It also looks into how incentive-based mechanisms, like decentralized governance, market instruments, and public-private partnerships, can be incorporated into legal and policy frameworks. The article identifies several significant flaws in the instruments in use today, such as imprecise legislative directives, inadequate accountability within institutions, and the marginalization of local communities from the decision-making process.

According to the findings, India’s environmental policies clearly aim at combating ecological degradation, but their effectiveness is frequently hampered by inconsistent legal enforcement and a lack of incentives for compliance. The article suggests rethinking environmental policy tools as dynamic legal instruments that should include adaptive governance mechanisms, legally binding commitments, and incentives that respond to stakeholder needs. By doing this, it provides a means of enhancing adherence to environmental regulations and guaranteeing that legal frameworks adapt to new ecological and sociopolitical issues.