This set covers the science of the greenhouse effect and the main international agreements on climate and the ozone layer. UPSC Prelims often tests the year, purpose and key features of these agreements, along with the bodies that run them.
How to practise: read each question and tap the option you think is correct. You will see right away whether you got it, along with a short explanation, and your score is tracked at the bottom of the screen. This set has 15 questions.
Topics covered in this set
- Greenhouse gases and global warming potential
- UNFCCC and its principles
- Kyoto Protocol and its mechanisms
- Paris Agreement, NDCs and the Global Stocktake
- Montreal Protocol and the Kigali Amendment
- IPCC, blue carbon and ocean acidification
UPSC Environment MCQs with answers and explanations
Q1. Among the following, which greenhouse gas has the highest global warming potential?
a) Carbon dioxide
b) Methane
c) Nitrous oxide
d) Sulphur hexafluoride
Q2. Which of the following is not a greenhouse gas?
a) Methane
b) Nitrogen
c) Nitrous oxide
d) Ozone
Q3. The secretariat of the UNFCCC is located in:
a) Geneva
b) Nairobi
c) Bonn
d) New York
Q4. Which of the following statements about the Kyoto Protocol is correct?
a) It set binding emission reduction targets mainly for developed countries listed in Annex I
b) It set binding targets for all developing countries
c) It dealt only with ozone-depleting substances
d) It replaced the UNFCCC
Q5. Which of the following is not one of the flexible mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol?
a) Clean Development Mechanism
b) Joint Implementation
c) International Emissions Trading
d) Nationally Determined Contributions
Q6. The long-term temperature goal of the Paris Agreement is to:
a) Hold warming well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius
b) Keep warming below 3 degrees Celsius by 2100
c) Bring global temperature back to 1990 levels
d) Cut global emissions to zero by 2030
Q7. Under the Paris Agreement, the 'Global Stocktake' refers to:
a) A count of forest cover in member countries
b) A periodic assessment of collective progress towards the agreement's goals
c) An inventory of fossil fuel reserves
d) A fund for climate adaptation
Q8. The Montreal Protocol of 1987 is an international agreement to:
a) Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from developed countries
b) Regulate trade in hazardous waste
c) Phase out the production and use of ozone-depleting substances
d) Protect wetlands of international importance
Q9. Why were hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) brought under the Montreal Protocol through the Kigali Amendment, even though they do not deplete the ozone layer?
a) They are potent greenhouse gases that were replacing ozone-depleting substances
b) They are toxic to marine life
c) They cause acid rain
d) They are a major source of particulate matter
Q10. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was established in 1988 by:
a) UNFCCC and the World Bank
b) WMO and UNEP
c) UNESCO and FAO
d) IUCN and WWF
Q11. 'Blue carbon' refers to carbon stored in:
a) Deep underground coal seams
b) Glaciers and ice sheets
c) Coastal and marine ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrasses and salt marshes
d) The upper atmosphere
Q12. The agreement to set up a dedicated fund for 'loss and damage' for vulnerable countries was reached at:
a) COP21 in Paris
b) COP26 in Glasgow
c) COP15 in Copenhagen
d) COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh
Q13. India announced its target of achieving net zero emissions by 2070 at:
a) COP21 in Paris
b) COP26 in Glasgow
c) COP24 in Katowice
d) COP28 in Dubai
Q14. Which of the following best explains ocean acidification?
a) Discharge of sulphuric acid from ships
b) Melting of polar ice that adds acid to the sea
c) Absorption of atmospheric carbon dioxide by seawater, forming carbonic acid
d) Release of methane from wetlands
Q15. The principle of 'Common but Differentiated Responsibilities' is most closely associated with:
a) The Ramsar Convention
b) CITES
c) The Basel Convention
d) The UNFCCC
Quick revision notes
- The UNFCCC was adopted at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit and its Conference of the Parties (COP) meets every year.
- The Kyoto Protocol (1997) set binding targets for Annex I countries and created the CDM, Joint Implementation and Emissions Trading.
- The Paris Agreement (2015) aims to keep warming well below 2 degrees Celsius and relies on Nationally Determined Contributions.
- The Montreal Protocol (1987) protects the ozone layer and the Kigali Amendment (2016) phases down HFCs.
- The IPCC was set up in 1988 by WMO and UNEP and assesses climate science without doing its own research.
- India announced a net zero target of 2070 at COP26 in Glasgow in 2021.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the greenhouse effect and global warming?
The greenhouse effect is a natural process in which gases trap heat and keep the Earth warm enough for life. Global warming is the extra rise in temperature caused by human addition of greenhouse gases.
Is ozone depletion the same as climate change?
No. Ozone depletion is the thinning of the stratospheric ozone layer by substances such as CFCs, while climate change is driven mainly by greenhouse gases. The two are linked because many ozone-depleting substances and their substitutes are also greenhouse gases.
What are Nationally Determined Contributions?
NDCs are climate action plans that each party to the Paris Agreement prepares and submits. They state targets and measures to cut emissions and adapt to climate impacts, and are updated every five years.
Comments
Post a Comment