Climate change and international conventions: previous-year questions
49 real UPSC Prelims questions (2011–2026) with the official answer and a clear explanation. 17 of them came in the last five papers.
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Questions per year, counted from the official papers.
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Consider the following statements with reference to India’s response to climate change :
- I. India’s Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS) is a crucial tool for achieving net-zero emissions by 2070.
- II. India’s 4th Biennial Update Report (BUR-4) submitted in December, 2024 recorded around 8% decrease in Greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 over 2019.
- III. Climate-resilient development necessarily depends on quick and short-term achievement of emission reduction targets.
Which of the following relationships among the above statements is/are correct ?
- 1. Statement I is empirically supported by statement II.
- 2. Statement III contradicts the approach implicit in statement I.
- 3. Statement I and statement III together establish the premise of long-term sustainability.
Select the answer using the code given below :
Answer (b) & explanation
Relationships 1 and 2 are correct (b). Relationship 1 is right: the LT-LEDS (2022) lays out India's path to net zero by 2070, and BUR-4 reported a fall of about 7.9% in 2020 emissions over 2019, real data in line with that path. Relationship 2 is right: Statement III wants quick, short-term cuts, while the LT-LEDS is a long, gradual plan, so III contradicts I. Relationship 3 is wrong: two contradicting statements cannot together set a premise. So options (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the cause of the 2020 fall: the COVID-19 lockdowns, not a lasting trend. India's updated NDC (2022) targets cutting emissions intensity of GDP by 45% from 2005 levels by 2030. Biennial Transparency Reports now replace BURs.
"together establish" sounds positive, but two statements that clash cannot form one premise.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
At the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) held in June, 2025 in France, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations demonstrated its leading voice on marine and ocean issues, especially on sustainable fisheries and aquaculture for resilient livelihood and “Blue Transformation”. Which of the following combinations about the “Four Betters” proposed by FAO for “Blue Transformation” is correct ?
Answer (b) & explanation
The Four Betters are production, nutrition, environment and life (b). The "Four Betters" run through FAO's whole strategy (2022–31): better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind. Blue Transformation applies them to fisheries and aquaculture. Option (a) is wrong: "better ocean" is not one of them. Options (c) and (d) are wrong: coral reefs, estuaries and mangroves are not among the Four Betters.
Notice the link to SDG 14, "Life Below Water". The UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France (2025) pushed for 30% ocean protection, and the High Seas Treaty (BBNJ) came into force in 2026. India's own schemes include the PM Matsya Sampada Yojana.
"better ocean" fits an ocean conference, but the four Betters are FAO's general formula.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which one of the following is the first Plan Vivo certified Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) project in India ?
Answer (c) & explanation
The Khasi Hills Community REDD+ project was India's first (c). REDD+ pays communities for keeping forests standing, through carbon credits. Plan Vivo is a standard for community-led projects. India's first such project is the Khasi Hills Community REDD+ project around Mawphlang, Meghalaya, run by a federation of Khasi village councils (hima). Options (a), (b) and (d), the Uttarakhand, ICFRE-ICIMOD and Sikkim Mamley Kamrang projects, came later or use other routes.
Notice why Mawphlang is famous: its sacred grove, a forest protected by local beliefs. REDD+ stands for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation, plus conservation and sustainable management. It is recognised under Article 5 of the Paris Agreement.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which one of the following launched the ‘Nature Solutions Finance Hub for Asia and the Pacific’?
Answer (a) & explanation
The Asian Development Bank launched the hub (a). The Asian Development Bank (ADB) launched the Nature Solutions Finance Hub for Asia and the Pacific in 2024. It aims to draw private money, at least $2 billion, into projects that protect or restore nature, such as mangroves, forests and watersheds. Option (b) is wrong: the AIIB, based in Beijing, did not launch it. Option (c) is wrong: the New Development Bank is the BRICS bank in Shanghai. Option (d) is wrong: the IBRD is the main lending arm of the World Bank.
Notice that the ADB is based in Manila, set up in 1966, with Japan and the USA as top shareholders. India is a founder member and among its largest borrowers.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
- I. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in India are less than 0·5 t CO2/capita.
- II. In terms of CO2 emissions from fuel combustion, India ranks second in Asia-Pacific region.
- III. Electricity and heat producers are the largest sources of CO2 emissions in India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer (c) & explanation
Statements II and III are correct (c). Statement II is right: India is second in the Asia-Pacific region in CO₂ emissions from fuel burning, after China, and third in the world. Statement III is right: electricity and heat producers, mainly coal-based power plants, are the largest single source. Statement I is wrong: India emits about 2 tonnes of CO₂ per person, far below the world average of about 4.7 tonnes, but well above 0.5 tonnes. So options (a), (b) and (d) fail.
Notice India's targets: net zero by 2070, 50% of power capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030, a goal already reached in 2025, and cutting emissions intensity of GDP by 45% from 2005 levels.
India's per-capita figure is "low" compared with others, but not as low as 0.5 t.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
The World Bank warned that India could become one of the first places where wet-bulb temperatures routinely exceed 35°C. Which of the following statements best reflect(s) the implication of the above-said report?
- I. Peninsular India will most likely suffer from flooding, tropical cyclones and droughts.
- II. The survival of animals including humans will be affected as shedding of their body heat through perspiration becomes difficult.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Answer (c) & explanation
Both statements are counted correct (c). Statement II is right: wet-bulb temperature combines heat and humidity. At about 35°C, sweat no longer evaporates, so the body cannot cool itself, threatening the survival of humans and animals. Statement I is counted too in UPSC's key: the warming that drives such heat also brings heavier floods, stronger cyclones and longer droughts to peninsular India. So options (a), (b) and (d) fail.
Notice where the risk is high: humid coastal and plains areas, like the Indo-Gangetic plains and the Odisha coast. The World Bank report was on investment in cooling. India's Heat Action Plans, first made in Ahmedabad in 2013, aim to cut heat deaths.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which organization has enacted the Nature Restoration Law (NRL) to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss?
Answer (a) & explanation
The European Union enacted the Nature Restoration Law (a). The European Union adopted its Nature Restoration Law in 2024. It requires member states to restore at least 20% of the EU's damaged land and sea areas by 2030, and all ecosystems in need by 2050. Options (b), (c) and (d) are wrong: only a body that makes laws can "enact" one. The World Bank, OECD and FAO give loans, advice or technical help, but cannot pass binding laws.
Notice the link to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (2022), whose "30 by 30" target asks for 30% of land and sea to be protected by 2030. The EU law faced strong protests from farmers before it passed narrowly.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
- Statement I : At the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), India refrained from signing the ‘Declaration on Climate and Health’.
- Statement II : The COP28 Declaration on Climate and Health is a binding declaration; and if signed, it becomes mandatory to decarbonize health sector.
- Statement III : If India’s health sector is decarbonized, the resilience of its health-care system may be compromised.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Answer (c) & explanation
Only Statement III is correct and it explains Statement I (c). Statement I is right: India stayed out of the COP28 (Dubai, 2023) Declaration on Climate and Health. Statement III is right and is the reason: India worried that cutting emissions from health care now could limit the growth of its still-expanding health system and its resilience. Statement II is wrong: the declaration is voluntary, not binding; signing it would not make decarbonisation mandatory. So options (a), (b) and (d) fail.
Notice the bigger picture: COP28 also launched the Global Stocktake call to "transition away" from fossil fuels and set up the Loss and Damage Fund. India stresses equity and common but differentiated responsibilities.
"binding" is the error. COP declarations are political pledges, not treaties.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
- Statement I : Scientific studies suggest that a shift is taking place in the Earth’s rotation and axis.
- Statement II : Solar flares and associated coronal mass ejections bombarded the Earth’s outermost atmosphere with tremendous amount of energy.
- Statement III : As the Earth’s polar ice melts, the water tends to move towards the equator.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Answer (b) & explanation
Both II and III are correct, but only III explains I (b). Statement I is right: studies show a shift in Earth's rotation and axis. Statement III is right and is the reason: melting polar ice moves mass towards the equator. Like a spinning skater stretching her arms, the Earth slows a little and its axis drifts. Statement II is right: solar flares and coronal mass ejections did hit the upper atmosphere hard, as in May 2024, but they do not move the planet's mass, so they do not explain I.
Notice another human factor: heavy pumping of groundwater has also shifted the axis, studies found. Solar storms instead cause auroras and can disrupt satellites, GPS and power grids.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
- Statement I : Article 6 of the Paris Agreement on climate change is frequently discussed in global discussions on sustainable development and climate change.
- Statement II : Article 6 of the Paris Agreement on climate change sets out the principles of carbon markets.
- Statement III : Article 6 of the Paris Agreement on climate change intends to promote inter-country non-market strategies to reach their climate targets.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Answer (a) & explanation
Both II and III are correct and both explain Statement I (a). Article 6 of the Paris Agreement lets countries work together to meet their targets. Statement II is right: Articles 6.2 and 6.4 set up carbon markets, for trading credits between countries and through a UN-run mechanism. Statement III is right: Article 6.8 covers non-market approaches, such as joint finance, technology and capacity building. Both halves are why it is discussed so much, so options (b), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the progress: rules for Article 6 carbon markets were finally agreed at COP29 in Baku (2024). India's own Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (2023) builds a domestic market, and India has signed Article 6.2 deals, such as with Japan.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which one of the following is the correct description of “100 Million Farmers” ?
Answer (a) & explanation
100 Million Farmers is a platform for net-zero, nature-positive food systems (a). 100 Million Farmers is a World Economic Forum platform. It aims to move food and water systems towards net-zero emissions and nature-positive farming, while making farmers more resilient and better paid, by bringing companies, governments and farmer groups together. Option (b) describes an organic livestock network, not this. Option (c) describes a blockchain fertiliser trading platform. Option (d) describes support for Farmer Producer Organisations and market access. It is about climate-friendly farming, not trading or marketing.
Notice India's matching efforts: natural farming missions, the PM-PRANAM scheme to cut chemical fertiliser use, and the National Mission on Natural Farming (2024). Farming produces about a fifth of global greenhouse gases.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which one of the following is the largest source of sulphur dioxide emissions ?
Answer (d) & explanation
Fossil-fuel power plants are the largest source of sulphur dioxide (d). Sulphur dioxide (SO₂) comes mainly from burning sulphur-rich coal and oil. The US EPA names power plants and other industrial facilities that burn fossil fuels as the largest source. Option (a) is wrong: locomotives add only a small share. Option (b) is wrong: ships burning heavy fuel oil add some, but less. Option (c) is wrong: metal smelting from ores is a smaller source.
Notice the effects: SO₂ causes acid rain and breathing problems, and forms fine sulphate particles. India told coal plants to fit flue-gas desulphurisation (FGD) units, but deadlines have been pushed back many times, and in 2025 most plants were exempted. India is a top SO₂ emitter.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
- Statement-I : Carbon markets are likely to be one of the most widespread tools in the fight against climate change.
- Statement-II : Carbon markets transfer resources from the private sector to the State.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Answer (b) & explanation
Both statements are correct but II does not explain I (b). Statement I is right: carbon markets put a price on emissions and are spreading fast, from the EU's ETS to China's national market, and the Article 6 rules under the Paris Agreement. Statement II is right: under cap-and-trade, governments sell or auction emission permits, so money moves from companies to the State. But II is not the reason for I: markets spread because they cut emissions where it is cheapest, letting firms that can cut cheaply sell their spare permits.
Notice India's own Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (2023), run by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency. It sets emission-intensity targets for heavy industries such as cement, steel and aluminium.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following activities :
- 1. Spreading finely ground basalt rock on farmlands extensively
- 2. Increasing the alkalinity of oceans by adding lime
- 3. Capturing carbon dioxide released by various industries and pumping it into abandoned subterranean mines in the form of carbonated waters
How many of the above activities are often considered and discussed for carbon capture and sequestration?
Answer (c) & explanation
All three activities are discussed for carbon removal (c). Item 1 is right: enhanced rock weathering: finely ground basalt spread on farms reacts with CO₂ in rain and soil and locks it in stable carbonates; it can also improve soil. Item 2 is right: ocean alkalinity enhancement: adding lime makes seawater more alkaline, so it absorbs more CO₂ from the air. Item 3 is right: pumping captured CO₂ underground as carbonated water is geological storage; in Iceland, the CarbFix project turns it into rock within two years.
Notice that these are carbon dioxide removal methods, needed to reach net zero, alongside cutting emissions. India's Deccan basalts make enhanced rock weathering an attractive option here.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Among the following crops, which one is the most important anthropogenic source of both methane and nitrous oxide ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Rice is the major source of both gases (b). Flooded paddy fields have no oxygen in the soil, so microbes called methanogens break down organic matter and release methane. The nitrogen fertiliser used on rice adds nitrous oxide, especially when fields are drained and flooded in turns. No other crop does both on that scale. Cotton (a), sugarcane (c) and wheat (d) give off nitrous oxide from fertilisers, but are not grown in flooded fields, so they release little methane.
Notice other farm methane sources: enteric fermentation in cattle, the largest, and manure. India's answers include alternate wetting and drying and Direct Seeded Rice. Nitrous oxide is about 270 times stronger than CO₂ as a warming gas.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
“Climate Action Tracker” which monitors the emission reduction pledges of different countries is a:
Answer (a) & explanation
It is a database created by research organisations (a). The Climate Action Tracker is run by two independent research groups, Climate Analytics and the NewClimate Institute. It rates each country's pledges (NDCs), targets and policies against the Paris Agreement goal of keeping warming to 1.5 °C, using grades from "critically insufficient" to "1.5 °C compatible". Option (b) is wrong: it is not part of the IPCC. Option (c) is wrong: it is not a UNFCCC committee. Option (d) is wrong: it is not run or funded by UNEP and the World Bank.
Notice the official tools: NDCs submitted every five years, and the Global Stocktake, the first of which ended at COP28 (Dubai, 2023). India's updated NDC targets net zero by 2070.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
- 1. “The Climate Group” is an international non-profit organization that drives climate action by building large networks and runs them.
- 2. The International Energy Agency in partnership with the Climate Group launched a global initiative “EP100”.
- 3. EP100 brings together leading companies committed to driving innovation in energy efficiency and increasing competitiveness while delivering on emission reduction goals.
- 4. Some Indian companies are members of EP100.
- 5. The International Energy Agency is the Secretariat to the “Under2 Coalition”.
Which of the statements given above are correct ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Statements 1, 3 and 4 are correct (b). Statement 1 is right: The Climate Group is an international non-profit that builds and runs large networks for climate action, such as RE100 for renewable power. Statement 3 is right: EP100 gathers companies that pledge to use energy more efficiently, gaining competitiveness while cutting emissions. Statement 4 is right: Indian firms such as Mahindra are members. Statement 2 is wrong: EP100 was launched with the Alliance to Save Energy, not the IEA. Statement 5 is wrong: The Climate Group itself is the secretariat of the Under2 Coalition of state and regional governments.
Notice EV100 for electric vehicles, another Climate Group network. India's own efficiency agency is the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (2002).
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to the ‘New York Declaration on Forests’, which of the following statements are correct?
- 1. It was first endorsed at the United Nations Climate Summit in 2014.
- 2. It endorses a global timeline to end the loss of forests.
- 3. It is a legally binding international declaration.
- 4. It is endorsed by governments, big companies and indigenous communities.
- 5. India was one of the signatories at its inception.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Answer (a) & explanation
Statements 1, 2 and 4 are correct (a). Statement 1 is right: the New York Declaration on Forests came out of the UN Climate Summit in September 2014. Statement 2 is right: it set a global timeline to halve natural forest loss by 2020 and end it by 2030. Statement 4 is right: it was endorsed by governments, big companies, NGOs and indigenous groups. Statement 3 is wrong: it is a voluntary, non-binding declaration. Statement 5 is wrong: India did not sign it at its launch.
Notice the later Glasgow Leaders' Declaration on Forests (COP26, 2021), which again pledged to end deforestation by 2030; India did not sign that either. Bonn Challenge targets land restoration.
"declaration" plus "legally binding" is a contradiction you can spot.
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Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
What is blue carbon?
Answer (a) & explanation
Blue carbon is carbon captured by oceans and coastal ecosystems (a). Blue carbon is the carbon stored by ocean and coastal ecosystems, mainly mangroves, salt marshes and seagrass meadows. Area for area, they lock away carbon much faster than land forests and keep it in their waterlogged soils for centuries. Option (b) describes green carbon, held in land forests and soils. Option (c) describes fossil carbon in petroleum and natural gas, sometimes called brown or black carbon. Option (d) describes carbon already in the atmosphere, mostly as CO₂.
Notice the MISHTI scheme (2023) for planting mangroves along India's coasts. Sundarbans is the world's largest mangrove forest. Losing these habitats releases their stored carbon.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following pairs :
| International agreement / set-up | Subject
| 1. Alma-Ata Declaration | Healthcare of the people
| 2. Hague Convention | Biological and chemical weapons
| 3. Talanoa Dialogue | Global climate change
| 4. Under2 Coalition | Child rights
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched ?
Answer (c) & explanation
Pairs 1 and 3 are correct (c). The Alma-Ata Declaration (1978), from a WHO–UNICEF conference in Kazakhstan, set the goal of primary health care for all (1). The Talanoa Dialogue (2018), named after a Fijian word for open, inclusive talk, was a UNFCCC stock-take of climate action (3). Pair 2 is wrong because biological and chemical weapons are covered by the Biological Weapons Convention (1972) and the Chemical Weapons Convention (1993), not a "Hague Convention". Pair 4 is wrong because the Under2 Coalition is a group of state and regional governments working to keep warming under 2°C, not on child rights.
Notice the Astana Declaration (2018), which renewed Alma-Ata's goal. India's Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (health and wellness centres) carry the primary health care idea forward.
"Under2" sounds like "under 2 years", but it means keeping warming under 2°C.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.