Which among the following statements are correct about the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the global concern for environment?
(A) It provides that parties should act to protect the climate system on the basis of equity and in accordance with their common but undifferentiated responsibilities.
(B) It agreed that the largest share of historical and current global emissions of greenhouse gases has its origins in developed countries.
(C) The per capita emissions in developed countries are still relatively low.
(D) The Kyoto Protocol was agreed to in 1997 based on the principles set out in UNFCCC.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → (B) and (D) only
(A) It provides that parties should act to protect the climate system on the basis of equity and in accordance with their common but undifferentiated responsibilities. Incorrect. The UNFCCC speaks of common but differentiated responsibilities. NTA added two letters, ‘un’, and the principle turned into its opposite.
(B) It agreed that the largest share of historical and current global emissions of greenhouse gases has its origins in developed countries. Correct.
(C) The per capita emissions in developed countries are still relatively low. Incorrect. It was acknowledged that per capita emissions in developing countries are still relatively low; that is why China, India and other developing countries were exempted from the Kyoto Protocol.
(D) The Kyoto Protocol was agreed to in 1997 based on the principles set out in UNFCCC. Correct.
NCERT (2025-26): “Common but Differentiated Responsibilities … The 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) also provides that the parties should act to protect the climate system ‘on the basis of equity and in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.’ The parties to the Convention agreed that the largest share of historical and current global emissions of greenhouse gases has originated in developed countries. It was also acknowledged that per capita emissions in developing countries are still relatively low. China, India, and other developing countries were, therefore, exempted from the requirements of the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement setting targets for industrialised countries to cut their greenhouse gas emissions. Certain gases like Carbon dioxide, Methane, Hydrofluoro carbons etc. are considered at least partly responsible for global warming - the rise in global temperature which may have catastrophic consequences for life on Earth. The protocol was agreed to in 1997 in Kyoto in Japan, based on principles set out in UNFCCC.” |