Environmental Laws, Conventions and Policies: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Environment and Ecology)

Explanation

Paris Summit COP21-2015 is a legally binding Inter-national Treaty on Climate Change. It was adopted by 195 Parties at COP 21 in Paris, on 12 December 2015 & entered into force on 4 November 2016. It requires all parties to put forward their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) which are voluntary in nature.

Statement 2 is correct: Paris Summit COP21 aims to limit global warming due emission of green house gas emissions to below 2 degree Celsius, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels. It requires all parties to put forward their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) which are voluntary in nature. Statements 1 and 3 are incorrect: The Treaty was only "agreed" by 195 Parties in Paris at the conference. The agreement will en-ter into force only after 55 countries that account for at least 55% of global emissions have deposited their instruments of ratification. Developed countries will work to define a clear roadmap on ratcheting up climate finance to USD 100 billion (not USD 1000 billion) by 2020.

Explanation

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 global objectives established by the United Nations in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. These goals address various global challenges, including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice, with a target to achieve them by 2030. The SDGs replaced the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015, which started a global effort in 2000 to tackle the indignity of poverty.

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Club of Rome, established in 1968, is known for its 1972 report titled "The Limits to Growth," which discussed the potential consequences of unchecked economic and population growth. While this report highlighted the need for sustainable practices, it did not propose the SDGs. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were born at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Devel-opment in Rio de Janeiro in 2012. The SDGs were formulated through a United Nations-led process, culminating in their adoption in 2015.

Statement 2 is correct: In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly approved 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) with 169 associated targets which are to be achieved by 2030.

Explanation

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was established in 1994. It is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management. There are 197 Parties to the Convention, including 196 country Parties and the European Union. The Convention, based on the principles of participation, partnership and decentralization, is a multilateral commitment to mitigate the impact of land degradation. Its flag-ship publication includes Global Land Outlook.

Statement 1 is correct: Its 197 Parties aim, through innovative national schemes and global partnerships, to implement the Convention and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The end goal is to protect the land from overuse and drought, so it can continue to provide food, water and energy.

Statement 2 is incorrect: The Convention addresses specifically the arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas, known as the dry-lands, where some of the most vulnerable ecosystems and people can be found. It is not particularly focussed towards South Asia and North Africa region.

Statement 3 is correct: The UNCCD emphasizes a bottom-up approach, recognizing that sustainable land management is most effective when local communities are actively involved. It promotes the participation of local populations, particularly women and youth, in decision-making processes related to land management and desertification mitigation.

Explanation

Pairs 1 is incorrectly matched: Annex-I countries refer to developed countries listed under the Kyoto Protocol with binding commitments to reduce emissions. The Cartagena Protocol deals with biosafety and regulates the transboundary movement of living modified organisms (LMOs), not emissions reduction. Pairs 2 is incorrectly matched: Certified Emissions Reductions (CERs) are issued for emission reductions under the Kyoto Protocol, not the Nagoya Protocol. The Nagoya Protocol focuses on access to genetic resources and fair sharing of benefits, not emission reductions.

Pair 3 is correctly matched: The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the UNFCCC enables developing countries to receive funds from developed nations for adopting technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The CDM is the main source of income for the UNFCCC Adaptation Fund, which was established to finance adaptation projects and programmes in developing country Parties to the Kyoto Protocol that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.

Explanation

The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) was launched by Germany and the European Commission in 2007. It is a global effort to raise awareness of the economic advantages of biodiversity. TEEB’s objective is to raise attention to the rising costs associated with biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation and to bring together experts in science, economics, and policy to facilitate actionable solutions.

Statement 1 is incorrect: It is an international initiative, launched by Germany and the European Commission. The second phase of the TEEB study is hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) with support from a number of other organizations.

Statement 2 is correct: It is an international initiative to draw attention to the global economic benefits of biodiversity. Its principal objective is to mainstream the values of biodiversity and ecosystem services into decision-making at all levels.

Statement 3 is correct: Its objective is to highlight the growing cost of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation. It follows a structured approach to valuation that assists decision-mak-ers in recognizing, demonstrating, and capturing the value of ecosystems and biodiversity.

Explanation

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is a mechanism developed by Parties to the UNFCCC. In order to provide incentives for developing countries to cut emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths, it sets a financial value for the carbon contained in forests. For activities based on results, the developing countries will be compensated. The UN-REDD Programme has identified the following three topics for supporting national REDD+ governance structures:

Country-led multi-stakeholder governance assessments that contribute to the development and implementation of national REDD+ strategies (for tackling forest degradation and biodiversity loss) and nationally owned monitoring frameworks Social standards, including poverty and gender. Land and/or carbon tenure and the role of REDD+ within national land use strategies The REDD+ goes beyond simply deforestation and forest degradation by including the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.

Explanation

Agenda 21 is a comprehensive action plan for sustainable development, adopted at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), commonly known as the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992. The number "21" refers to an agenda for the 21st century. It’s objective is to achieve Global sustainable development.

Statement 1 is correct: Agenda 21 serves as a comprehensive plan of action for sustainbility to be taken globally, nationally, and locally by organizations of the United Nations System, governments, and major groups in every area where humans im-pact the environment.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Agenda 21 is a product of the Earth Summit (UN Conference on Environment and Development) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992. The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), held in Johannesburg in 2002, reaffirmed the commitment to Agenda 21 and aimed to assess progress and implement further actions

Explanation

As a protocol to the Vienna Convention (first inter-national agreement to protect the ozone layer,) Montreal Protocol deals with the substances that deplete the Ozone Layer (ozone-depleting substance-ODS). The Montreal Protocol phases down the consumption and production of the different ODS in a step-wise manner, with different timetables for developed and developing countries (referred to as "Article 5 countries"). The Montreal Protocol is an international treaty de-signed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of numerous substances responsible for ozone depletion. Finalized in 1987, it has been hailed as one of the most successful environmental agreements, achieving universal ratification and significantly reducing the presence of ozone-deplet-ing substances (ODS) in the atmosphere.

Explanation

Rio+20 is the short name for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development which took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June 2012 i.e. twenty years after the land-mark 1992 Earth Summit in Rio. At the Rio+20 Conference, world leaders, along with thousands of participants from the private sector, NGOs and other groups, came together to shape how we can reduce poverty, advance social equity and ensure environmental protection on an ever more crowded planet. In Rio, Member States agreed to initiate a process to create a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that would build on the Millennium Development Goals and align with the post-2015 development agenda. The conference also endorsed pioneering guidelines for green economy policies. Additionally, governments decided to establish an intergovernmental process under the General Assembly to explore strategies for financing sustainable development.

Explanation

The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee was constituted under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) functions under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). It is responsible for the appraisal of activities involving large-scale use of hazardous microorganisms and recombinants in research and industrial production from the environmental angle. The committee is also responsible for the appraisal of proposals relating to the release of genetically engineered (GE) organisms and products into the environment including experimental field trials. The committee oversees the use, import, and export of genetically modified organisms and crops, ensuring they comply with environmental safety standards.