UPSC Previous Year Question | Prelims GS | 2016

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.

  1. 1 and 3 only
  2. 2 only
  3. 2 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3

Answer

Correct Answer

2 only

Explanation

The Paris Agreement's core temperature goal — limiting warming to well below 2°C, and pursuing efforts toward 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels — makes statement 2 correct. Not every UN member signed it by 2017 as a settled fact stated here, and the $1000 billion/year figure is not part of the Agreement's actual commitment (the commonly cited figure is $100 billion), making statements 1 and 3 incorrect.

Topics: climate change, environment, international agreements, paris agreement (cop21)