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Climate Change

Environment · 10 Questions
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Question 1
  1. A carbon tax sets a fixed price on carbon emissions but does not guarantee a specific limit on total emissions.
  2. The Emission Trading System (ETS) guarantees a fixed, unchanging price for carbon allowances in the market.
  3. The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is a policy initiative launched by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). 

How many of the above statements are correct? 

  • A Only one statement is correct
  • B Only two statements are correct
  • C All three statements are correct
  • D None of the statements are correct
✓ Correct Answer: Option A
Explanation:
Only one statement is correct
Statement 1 is correct: A carbon tax sets a fixed price that emitters must pay per ton of greenhouse gas emitted. While it provides price certainty, it does not guarantee exactly how much emissions will decrease.
Statement 2 is incorrect: An Emission Trading System (ETS) or "cap-and-trade" sets a hard limit (cap) on total emissions, but the price of carbon allowances fluctuates based on market demand and supply.
Statement 3 is incorrect: CBAM is a policy of the European Union (EU), not the UNFCCC. It aims to tax carbon-intensive imports to prevent carbon leakage.
Question 2

With reference to the Global Methane Pledge, consider the following statements:

  1. It was officially launched at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow.
  2. It aims to reduce global methane emissions by at least 30% from 2020 levels by 2030.
  3. Methane has a shorter atmospheric lifetime than carbon dioxide but a significantly higher global warming potential over a 20-year period. 

How many of the above statements are correct? 

  • A Only one statement is correct
  • B Only two statements are correct
  • C All three statements are correct
  • D None of the statements are correct
✓ Correct Answer: Option C
Explanation:
All three statements are correct
Statement 1 is correct: The Global Methane Pledge was launched at COP26 in November 2021 in Glasgow.
Statement 2 is correct: The core goal is a collective effort to reduce global methane emissions by at least 30% from 2020 levels by the year 2030.
Statement 3 is correct: Methane only lasts about a decade in the atmosphere (much shorter than CO2), but it is roughly 80 times more potent at warming the atmosphere over a 20-year period.
Question 3

 Consider the following statements regarding the 'Loss and Damage Fund':

  1. The fund was originally established and operationalized at the COP21 summit in Paris.
  2. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has been designated as the sole permanent trustee of the fund.
  3. Under the current agreement, all developing countries are legally mandated to contribute a fixed percentage of their GDP to this fund. 

How many of the above statements are correct? 

  • A Only one statement is correct
  • B Only two statements are correct
  • C All three statements are correct
  • D None of the statements are correct
✓ Correct Answer: Option D
Explanation:
None of the statements are correct
Statement 1 is incorrect: The fund was agreed upon at COP27 (Sharm el-Sheikh) and formally operationalized at COP28 (Dubai), not COP21 in Paris.
Statement 2 is incorrect: The World Bank was selected to host the fund as an interim trustee for four years, not UNEP.
Statement 3 is incorrect: Contributions to the fund are currently voluntary, primarily expected from developed nations. Developing nations are not legally mandated to contribute based on GDP.
Question 4

With reference to Climate Geoengineering techniques, consider the following statements:

  1. Stratospheric Aerosol Injection aims to mimic the cooling effect of massive volcanic eruptions by reflecting sunlight back into space.
  2. Ocean fertilization involves adding nutrients like iron to the upper ocean to stimulate phytoplankton growth, thereby absorbing atmospheric CO2.
  3. Marine cloud brightening involves spraying sea salt into low-lying clouds to increase their reflectivity and cool the surface below. 

How many of the above statements are correct? 

  • A Only one statement is correct
  • B Only two statements are correct
  • C All three statements are correct
  • D None of the statements are correct
✓ Correct Answer: Option C
Explanation:
All three statements are correct
Statement 1 is correct: SAI is a proposed Solar Radiation Management technique that involves spraying reflective aerosols (like sulfur dioxide) into the stratosphere to reflect sunlight, mimicking volcanic cooling.
Statement 2 is correct: Ocean fertilization is a Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) technique that dumps iron or macronutrients into the ocean to create phytoplankton blooms, which absorb CO2.
Statement 3 is correct: Marine cloud brightening aims to make clouds more reflective by spraying salt water into the air, thereby bouncing more sunlight back into space.
Question 5

Consider the following statements regarding the Kigali Amendment:

  1. It aims to completely phase down the production and consumption of Carbon Dioxide globally by 2050.
  2. The chemical compounds targeted by this amendment are primarily known for causing severe depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer.
  3. It is a legally binding agreement operating directly under the framework of the Paris Agreement. 

How many of the above statements are correct? 

  • A Only one statement is correct
  • B Only two statements are correct
  • C All three statements are correct
  • D None of the statements are correct
✓ Correct Answer: Option D
Explanation:
None of the statements are correct
Statement 1 is incorrect: The Kigali Amendment aims to phase down Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), not Carbon Dioxide.
Statement 2 is incorrect: Unlike CFCs and HCFCs, HFCs do not deplete the ozone layer. However, they were targeted because they are extremely potent greenhouse gases.
Statement 3 is incorrect: It is a legally binding amendment to the Montreal Protocol, not the Paris Agreement.
Question 6

With reference to 'Blue Carbon', consider the following statements:

  1. It refers strictly to the carbon captured and permanently stored by deep ocean currents.
  2. Mangroves and seagrass meadows can sequester carbon at a faster rate per unit area than most terrestrial forests.
  3. Peatlands are considered the largest and most significant blue carbon sinks in the world.

 How many of the above statements are correct? 

  • A Only one statement is correct
  • B Only two statements are correct
  • C All three statements are correct
  • D None of the statements are correct
✓ Correct Answer: Option A
Explanation:
Only one statement is correct
Statement 1 is incorrect: Blue carbon refers to the carbon sequestered and stored by coastal and marine ecosystems (like mangroves, tidal marshes, and seagrasses), not just deep ocean currents.
Statement 2 is correct: These coastal ecosystems are highly efficient and can sequester carbon at rates up to 10 times faster than mature tropical forests.
Statement 3 is incorrect: Peatlands are terrestrial/freshwater ecosystems, so they fall under "green carbon" or terrestrial sinks, not blue carbon.
Question 7

 Regarding India's updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), consider the following statements:

  1. India aims to reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 45% by 2030, from 2005 levels.
  2. India is committed to achieving about 50% cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030.
  3. India has committed to creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.

 How many of the above statements are correct? 

  • A Only one statement is correct
  • B Only two statements are correct
  • C All three statements are correct
  • D None of the statements are correct
✓ Correct Answer: Option C
Explanation:
All three statements are correct
Statement 1 is correct: Under its updated NDCs (submitted in 2022), India committed to reducing the emissions intensity of its GDP by 45% by 2030, compared to 2005 levels.
Statement 2 is correct: India committed to achieving about 50% cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel resources by 2030.
Statement 3 is correct: India committed to creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030.
Question 8

Consider the following statements regarding the Green Climate Fund (GCF):

  1. It was officially established during the COP21 Paris Agreement in 2015.
  2. It exclusively provides funding for climate mitigation projects and does not finance adaptation projects.
  3. It serves as an operating entity of the Financial Mechanism of the UNFCCC. 

How many of the above statements are correct? 

  • A Only one statement is correct
  • B Only two statements are correct
  • C All three statements are correct
  • D None of the statements are correct
✓ Correct Answer: Option A
Explanation:
Only one statement is correct
Statement 1 is incorrect: The GCF was established during the COP16 in Cancun in 2010, well before the Paris Agreement.
Statement 2 is incorrect: The GCF aims for a 50:50 balance between funding mitigation and adaptation investments over time. It does not exclusively fund mitigation.
Statement 3 is correct: The GCF is a critical operating entity of the Financial Mechanism of the UNFCCC, designed to assist developing countries.
Question 9

With reference to India's National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), consider the following statements:

  1. The National Solar Mission aims to establish India as a global leader in solar energy.
  2. The National Mission on Sustainable Habitat focuses on improving energy efficiency in buildings and urban planning.
  3. The National Mission for a Green India aims to increase forest/tree cover and improve the quality of existing forest ecosystems. 

How many of the above statements are correct? 

  • A Only one statement is correct
  • B Only two statements are correct
  • C All three statements are correct
  • D None of the statements are correct
✓ Correct Answer: Option C
Explanation:
All three statements are correct
Statement 1 is correct: The National Solar Mission is one of the 8 core missions of the NAPCC, aiming to establish India as a global leader in solar energy.
Statement 2 is correct: The National Mission on Sustainable Habitat focuses on making cities sustainable through improvements in energy efficiency in buildings, solid waste management, and public transport.
Statement 3 is correct: The Green India Mission focuses on protecting, restoring, and enhancing India's diminishing forest cover and responding to climate change through adaptation and mitigation.
Question 10

Consider the following statements regarding Climate "Tipping Points":

  1. Tipping points represent gradual, easily reversible climate shifts that occur over centuries.
  2. The Amazon rainforest is highly resilient and is considered scientifically immune to tipping into a dry savanna state.
  3. The melting of Arctic permafrost acts as a negative feedback loop that cools the planet by exposing heat-absorbing soil.

 How many of the above statements are correct? 

  • A Only one statement is correct
  • B Only two statements are correct
  • C All three statements are correct
  • D None of the statements are correct
✓ Correct Answer: Option D
Explanation:
None of the statements are correct
Statement 1 is incorrect: Tipping points are critical thresholds that, when crossed, lead to large, rapid, and often irreversible changes in the climate system.
Statement 2 is incorrect: The Amazon is highly vulnerable. Deforestation and climate change are pushing it toward a tipping point where it could permanently transition into a dry savanna.
Statement 3 is incorrect: Melting permafrost is a positive feedback loop. It releases trapped methane and CO2, which causes more warming, leading to more melting.

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