At a glance
PaperPaper ISubjectCurrent EventsSyllabusCurrent Events of National and International Importance: societal and developmental issues; Indian and World GeographyImportanceMedium
EnvironmentClimateUnfcccParis AgreementIpccCopBiodiversityRamsar
Environment and climate enter current affairs through the annual climate conferences, new reports, species and habitat news, and pollution episodes. The durable layer is the structure of the conventions and bodies, India's standing targets, and the protected-area and species framework; the dated layer is the latest COP host, the newest tiger or Ramsar count, and the current emissions figure. This note collects the durable structure and links to the geography and economy modules. Sources: the UNFCCC and CBD texts, UNEP and IPCC, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and NCERT geography.
| Instrument / body |
Year / seat |
What it is |
| UNFCCC |
1992 (Rio Earth Summit) |
The parent climate convention; its annual meeting is the Conference of the Parties (COP) |
| Kyoto Protocol |
1997 |
Bound developed countries to emission cuts; based on "common but differentiated responsibilities" |
| Paris Agreement |
2015 (COP21) |
Limit warming to well below 2° Celsius, pursuing 1.5; built on Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) |
| IPCC |
1988 (WMO and UNEP) |
The scientific assessment body; produces Assessment Reports; not a negotiating body |
| Conference of the Parties (COP) |
Annual, rotating host |
The decision-making summit (verify the latest host and number) |
The clean CAPF distinctions: the UNFCCC was born at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit; the IPCC assesses science (set up in 1988 by the WMO and UNEP) and does not negotiate; the Paris Agreement (2015) replaced the binding top-down Kyoto model with bottom-up Nationally Determined Contributions.
| Element |
Durable point |
| Net-zero target |
India has announced a net-zero target year of 2070 |
| Panchamrit (announced at COP26) |
A five-point set of climate pledges; the targets are dated, so verify the latest values |
| National Action Plan on Climate Change (2008) |
Eight national missions, including the National Solar Mission and the National Mission for a Green India |
| International Solar Alliance (ISA) |
India-France initiative; headquartered at Gurugram, India |
| LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) |
India-led behavioural-change initiative |
| Instrument / framework |
Note |
| Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) |
1992 (Rio); India is a party; the Cartagena (biosafety) and Nagoya (access and benefit-sharing) Protocols sit under it |
| Ramsar Convention |
1971 (Ramsar, Iran); protects wetlands; India has a growing list of Ramsar sites (verify the latest count) |
| CITES |
Regulates trade in endangered species |
| CMS (Bonn Convention) |
Migratory species |
| IUCN Red List |
The global threatened-species status list (maintained by the IUCN) |
| Element |
Basis |
| Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 |
National parks, wildlife sanctuaries, conservation and community reserves; species schedules |
| Project Tiger (1973) and the NTCA |
Tiger reserves; the National Tiger Conservation Authority is the statutory body |
| Project Elephant (1992) |
Elephant reserves |
| Biosphere reserves |
UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere network; India has several |
| Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 |
Regulates diversion of forest land |
| Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 |
The umbrella environmental law (post-Bhopal) |
| Element |
Note |
| Central and State Pollution Control Boards |
Statutory bodies under the Water Act (1974) and Air Act (1981) |
| National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) |
Targets particulate-matter reduction in cities |
| National Green Tribunal (NGT) |
Environmental adjudication (NGT Act, 2010; see durable polity and governance) |
| Namami Gange |
River-rejuvenation programme for the Ganga |
| Extended Producer Responsibility |
Plastic and e-waste rules placing the disposal duty on producers |
- The UNFCCC, the CBD and the Earth Summit are all 1992 (Rio); Ramsar is 1971; Kyoto is 1997; Paris is 2015.
- The IPCC was established in 1988 by the WMO and UNEP and only assesses science; it does not set targets.
- The International Solar Alliance is headquartered in Gurugram, India, an India-France initiative.
- India's net-zero target year is 2070; the Panchamrit numbers are dated, so verify the latest.
- Project Tiger's statutory authority is the NTCA; the parent law is the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
- In which year and at which summit was the UNFCCC adopted? (Authored practice, not a verbatim PYQ.) Answer: 1992, at the Rio Earth Summit.
- Where is the International Solar Alliance headquartered? (Authored practice, not a verbatim PYQ.) Answer: Gurugram, India.