UPSC Previous Year Question | Prelims GS | 2024

Consider the following statements: Statement-I: The European Parliament approved the Net-Zero Industry Act recently. Statement-II: The European Union intends to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040 and therefore aims to develop all of its own clean technology by that time. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I.
  2. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I.
  3. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect.
  4. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct.

Answer

Correct Answer

Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect.

Explanation

Statement-I is correct: the European Parliament approved the Net-Zero Industry Act in 2024 as part of the EU's effort to expand clean-technology manufacturing capacity. Statement-II is incorrect because the EU's legally established climate objective is climate neutrality by 2050, not 2040. The Act's industrial-capacity targets are linked to the EU's net-zero transition, but the stated 2040 neutrality deadline is wrong.

Topics: climate and industrial policy, european union, international relations, net-zero industry act