Greenhouse Effect and Climate Change

21. With reference to ‘Global Climate Change Alliance’, which of the follo

With reference to ‘Global Climate Change Alliance’, which of the following statements is/are correct?

Join Our Telegram Channel
  • 1. It is an initiative of the European Union.
  • 2. It provides technical and financial support to targeted developing countries to integrate climate change into their development policies and budgets.
  • 3. It is coordinated by World Resources Institute (WRI) and World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
1 and 2 only
3 only
2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2017
Download PDFAttempt Online
The correct answer is A) 1 and 2 only.
The Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA) was launched by the European Union. Its primary objective is to provide technical and financial support to developing countries to help them integrate climate change considerations into their development policies and budgets.
The GCCA was established by the European Commission in 2007 to enhance dialogue and cooperation on climate change between the European Union and developing countries most vulnerable to climate change, particularly Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Statement 3 is incorrect; the GCCA is managed and funded primarily by the European Union and its Member States, not coordinated by WRI and WBCSD.

Subscribe on YouTube

22. In the context of mitigating the impending global warming due to anthr

In the context of mitigating the impending global warming due to anthropogenic carbon dioxide, which of the following can be the potential sites for carbon sequestration ?

  • 1. Abandoned and uneconomic coal seams
  • 2. Depleted oil and gas reservoirs
  • 3. Subterranean deep saline formations

Select the correct answer using the code given below

Subscribe on YouTube
1 and 2 only
3 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2017
Download PDFAttempt Online
Carbon sequestration is the process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide. Geological sequestration involves injecting CO2 into deep underground geological formations. All three mentioned sites are considered potential locations for this process.
Statement 1 is correct. Abandoned and uneconomic coal seams have pore spaces within the coal matrix where CO2 can be stored. Injecting CO2 can displace adsorbed methane, potentially offering enhanced coal bed methane recovery while sequestering CO2.
Statement 2 is correct. Depleted oil and gas reservoirs are geological formations that previously held hydrocarbons for millions of years, indicating they are well-sealed and suitable for trapping fluids. They are prime candidates for CO2 injection for storage, often combined with Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) or Enhanced Gas Recovery (EGR) techniques.
Statement 3 is correct. Subterranean deep saline formations are porous rock layers saturated with highly saline water. These formations are vast and globally abundant, offering the largest potential storage capacity for CO2 compared to coal seams or depleted reservoirs. The CO2 dissolves in the saline water or is trapped in pore spaces.
– Geological carbon sequestration involves injecting CO2 into suitable underground rock formations.
– Abandoned coal seams, depleted oil/gas reservoirs, and deep saline formations are recognized potential sites.
Other potential sites for carbon sequestration include basalt formations and organic-rich shales. Alongside geological sequestration, other methods include terrestrial sequestration (forests, soils) and ocean sequestration (less explored/favoured due to environmental concerns). Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies are being developed and deployed globally as a means to mitigate climate change.

Join Our Telegram Channel

23. With reference to the Agreement at the UNFCCC Meeting in Paris in 2015

With reference to the Agreement at the UNFCCC Meeting in Paris in 2015, which of the following statements is/are correct?

  • 1. The Agreement was signed by all the member countries of the UN and it will go into effect in 2017.
  • 2. The Agreement aims to limit the greenhouse gas emissions so that the rise in average global temperature by the end of this century does not exceed 2°C or even 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
  • 3. Developed countries acknowledged their historical responsibility in global warming and committed to donate $ 1000 billion a year from 2020 to help developing countries to cope with climate change.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Subscribe on YouTube
1 and 3 only
2 only
2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2016
Download PDFAttempt Online
Statement 2 is correct. The Paris Agreement aims to limit the rise in average global temperature by the end of this century to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C.
The central aim of the Paris Agreement is to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Statement 1 is incorrect. While the Agreement was adopted by 195 parties to the UNFCCC in Paris, not every UN member country signed it immediately upon adoption, and its entry into force was on 4 November 2016, triggered by ratification thresholds (55 parties accounting for at least 55% of global GHG emissions), not a fixed date like 2017 for all. Statement 3 is incorrect. Developed countries committed to a goal of mobilizing $100 billion per year by 2020 for climate action in developing countries, not $1000 billion.

Join Our Telegram Channel

24. What is ‘Greenhouse Gas Protocol’?

What is ‘Greenhouse Gas Protocol’?

Join Our Telegram Channel
It is an international accounting tool for government and business leaders to understand, quantify and manage greenhouse gas emissions
It is an initiative of the United Nations to offer financial incentives to developing countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to adopt eco-friendly technologies
It is an inter-governmental agreement ratified by all the member countries of the United Nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to specified levels by the year 2022
It is one of the multilateral REDD+ initiatives hosted by the World Bank
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2016
Download PDFAttempt Online
The correct option is A, which accurately describes the purpose of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.
– Option A is correct. The Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol) is a widely used international accounting tool for governments and business leaders. It provides frameworks and guidance for measuring and managing greenhouse gas emissions from various sources. It was developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
– Option B is incorrect. This describes a potential climate finance mechanism or fund, not a protocol for accounting.
– Option C is incorrect. The GHG Protocol is not an inter-governmental agreement setting emission reduction targets. International agreements like the Paris Agreement set targets.
– Option D is incorrect. This describes an initiative like the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) related to REDD+, not the GHG Protocol.
The GHG Protocol standards are designed to provide a common language and framework for companies, cities, and countries to quantify and manage their greenhouse gas emissions, enabling more transparent and effective climate action.

Subscribe on YouTube

25. Which of the following best describes/ describe the aim of ‘Green Indi

Which of the following best describes/ describe the aim of ‘Green India Mission’ of the Government of India?

Join Our Telegram Channel
  • Incorporating environmental benefits and costs into the Union and State Budgets thereby implementing the ‘green accounting’
  • Launching the second green revolution to enhance agricultural output so as to ensure food security to one and all in the future
  • Restoring and enhancing forest cover and responding to climate change by a combination of adaptation and mitigation measures

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1 only
2 and 3 only
3 only
1, 2 and 3
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2016
Download PDFAttempt Online
The Green India Mission (GIM) is one of the eight National Missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
Its primary aim is to protect, restore, and enhance India’s forest cover and to respond to climate change. This is achieved through a combination of adaptation and mitigation measures, focusing on enhancing carbon sinks, improving the ecosystem services provided by forests, and increasing the climate resilience of vulnerable communities and ecosystems.
Statement 1 refers to ‘green accounting’, which is a concept related to incorporating environmental costs and benefits into economic accounting, but it is not the core stated aim of GIM. Statement 2 refers to agricultural productivity enhancement, which is associated with ‘Green Revolution’, not GIM. Statement 3 accurately describes the core objectives of the Green India Mission.

Subscribe on YouTube

26. Consider the following pairs: Terms sometimes seen in the news The

Consider the following pairs:

Join Our Telegram Channel
Terms sometimes seen in the newsTheir origin
1. Annex-I Countries: Cartagena Protocol
2. Certified Emissions Reductions: Nagoya Protocol
3. Clean Development Mechanism: Kyoto Protocol

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
3 only
1, 2 and 3
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2016
Download PDFAttempt Online
Only pair 3 is correctly matched.
– Pair 1: ‘Annex-I Countries’ are a group of developed countries and economies in transition listed in Annex I of the *United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)* and the *Kyoto Protocol*. These countries had committed to specific targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions under the Kyoto Protocol. The Cartagena Protocol deals with biosafety (living modified organisms), not emission reduction commitments. Thus, pair 1 is incorrectly matched.
– Pair 2: ‘Certified Emissions Reductions’ (CERs) are emission reduction units generated through projects under the *Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)*, which is one of the flexible mechanisms defined in the *Kyoto Protocol*. The Nagoya Protocol deals with Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization, not emission reduction trading mechanisms. Thus, pair 2 is incorrectly matched.
– Pair 3: ‘Clean Development Mechanism’ (CDM) is indeed one of the flexible mechanisms established under the *Kyoto Protocol* to help Annex I countries meet their emission reduction commitments by undertaking emission reduction projects in developing countries. Thus, pair 3 is correctly matched.
– The Kyoto Protocol was an international treaty which extended the 1992 UNFCCC that commits state parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
– The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety is a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
– The Nagoya Protocol is another supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Subscribe on YouTube

27. The term ‘Intended Nationally Deter- mined Contributions’ is sometimes

The term ‘Intended Nationally Deter- mined Contributions’ is sometimes seen in the news in the context of

Subscribe on YouTube
pledges made by the European countries to rehabilitate refugees from the war-affected Middle East
plan of action outlined by the countries of the world to combat climate change
capital contributed by the member countries in the establishment of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
plan of action outlined by the countries of the world regarding Sustainable Development Goals
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2016
Download PDFAttempt Online
The term ‘Intended Nationally Determined Contributions’ (INDCs) is directly related to the international efforts to address climate change under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
INDCs were commitments made by countries in the lead-up to the 2015 Paris Agreement. They represent each country’s plan of action outlining the steps they intend to take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. The Paris Agreement built upon INDCs, requiring countries to submit Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and update them every five years.
Option A is incorrect as INDCs are related to climate action, not refugee rehabilitation. Option C is incorrect as AIIB capital contributions are related to financial institutions, not climate change commitments. Option D is incorrect as while climate action contributes to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), INDCs/NDCs are specifically the climate action pledges under the UNFCCC, distinct from the broader SDG framework.

Join Our Telegram Channel

28. With reference to ‘Forest Carbon Partnership Facility’, which of the f

With reference to ‘Forest Carbon Partnership Facility’, which of the following statements is/are correct?

Join Our Telegram Channel
  • 1. It is a global partnership of governments, businesses, civil society and indigenous peoples.
  • 2. It provides financial aid to universities, individual scientists and institutions involved in scientific forestry research to develop eco-friendly and climate adaptation technologies for sustainable forest management.
  • 3. It assists the countries in their ‘REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation+)’ efforts by providing them with financial and technical assistance.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2015
Download PDFAttempt Online
Statement 1 is correct; the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) is indeed a global partnership involving various stakeholders including governments, businesses, civil society organizations, and indigenous peoples. Statement 3 is also correct; FCPF’s primary objective is to assist developing countries in their REDD+ efforts (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation+) by providing them with financial and technical assistance to build their capacity for REDD+ implementation. Statement 2 is incorrect; while the facility supports activities related to sustainable forest management within the REDD+ framework, its focus is on supporting countries and specific REDD+ programs/projects rather than directly providing financial aid to individual scientists or universities for general scientific forestry research.
The Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF), administered by the World Bank, is focused on REDD+ readiness and implementation, providing financial and technical support to developing countries to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.
REDD+ is a framework created by the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) to guide activities that reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries. The ‘+’ signifies the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. FCPF works towards building the necessary systems and capacity in developing countries to participate in future systems of positive incentives for REDD+.

Subscribe on YouTube

29. Which of the following statements regarding ‘Green Climate Fund’ is/ar

Which of the following statements regarding ‘Green Climate Fund’ is/are correct?

Subscribe on YouTube
  • 1. It is intended to assist the developing countries in adaptation and mitigation practices to counter climate change.
  • 2. It is founded under the aegis of UNEP, OECD, Asian Development Bank and World Bank.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Join Our Telegram Channel
1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2015
Download PDFAttempt Online
Statement 1 is correct. The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is a global fund created to support the efforts of developing countries to respond to the challenge of climate change. It aims to help developing countries limit or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change.
Statement 2 is incorrect. The Green Climate Fund was established by 194 countries at the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 16) to the UNFCCC in Cancun in 2010. While it collaborates with various international organizations including multilateral development banks and UN agencies, it was not founded under the aegis of UNEP, OECD, Asian Development Bank, and World Bank collectively or as its founding bodies. It operates within the framework of the UNFCCC.
– The GCF is a key financial mechanism under the UNFCCC.
– Its primary goal is to support developing countries in climate change mitigation and adaptation.
– It was established by the UNFCCC parties, not specific listed international organizations.
The GCF is governed by a Board of 24 members (12 from developed and 12 from developing countries) and operates independently under the guidance of the UNFCCC.

30. Consider the following statements regarding ‘Earth Hour’ : 1. It is

Consider the following statements regarding ‘Earth Hour’ :

  • 1. It is an initiative of UNEP and UNESCO.
  • 2. It is a movement in which the participants switch off the lights for one hour on a certain day every year.
  • 3. It is a movement to raise the awareness about the climate change and the need to save the planet.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Join Our Telegram Channel
1 and 3 only
2 only
2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2014
Download PDFAttempt Online
Statements 2 and 3 about Earth Hour are correct. Earth Hour is indeed a movement where participants switch off lights for one hour on a specific day annually, and its purpose is to raise awareness about climate change and environmental issues. Statement 1 is incorrect as Earth Hour is an initiative of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), not UNEP and UNESCO.
– Earth Hour is a global environmental movement.
– It is organized by WWF and involves switching off non-essential lights and electrical appliances for one hour.
– The goal is to encourage individuals, communities, and businesses to take action for the environment and demonstrate commitment to the planet.
Earth Hour started in Sydney, Australia, in 2007 and has since grown into one of the world’s largest grassroots movements for the environment, involving millions of people in over 190 countries and territories.

Subscribe on YouTube
Page 1Page 2Page 3Page 4Page 5