Section 2 in The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2023
2.Insertion of preamble.
In the Forest (Conservation)Act, 1980 (hereinafter referred to as the principalAct), after the long title and before the enacting formula, the following preamble shall be inserted, namely:—"WHEREAS, the importance of forests is to be realised to enable achievement of national targets of Net Zero Emission by 2070 and maintain or enhance the forest carbon stocks through ecologically balanced sustainable development;AND WHEREAS, Nationality Determined Contribution targets of the country envisage creating carbon sink of additional 2.5 to 3.0 billion tons of CO2 equivalent by 2030;AND WHEREAS, the country envisages an increase in the forest and tree cover to one-third of its land area, which is to be given impetus with an enhanced growth trajectory;AND WHEREAS, India has a rich tradition of preserving forests and their bio-diversity, and, therefore, enhancing forest based economic, social and environmental benefits, including improvement of livelihoods for forest dependent communities is envisaged;AND WHEREAS, it is necessary to provide for provisions relating to conservation management and restoration of forests, maintaining ecological security, sustaining cultural and traditional values of forests and facilitating economic needs and carbon neutrality.".
