Read the passage and answer the questions:
The developed countries of the North want to discuss the environmental issue as it stands now and want everyone to be equally responsible for ecological conservation. The developing countries of the South feel that much of the ecological degradation in the world is the product of industrial development undertaken by the developed countries. If they have caused more degradation, they must also take more responsibility for undoing the damage now. Moreover, the developing countries are in the process of industrialisation and they must not be subjected to the same restrictions, which apply to the developed countries. Thus the special needs of the developing countries must be taken into account in the development, application, and interpretation of rules of international environmental law. This argument was accepted in the Rio Declaration at the Earth Summit in 1992 and is called the principle of ‘common but differentiated responsibilities’. The Rio Summit produced conventions dealing with climate change, biodiversity, forestry, and recommended a list of development practices called “Agenda 21.” There was a consensus on combining economic growth with ecological responsibility. This approach to development is commonly known as ‘sustainable development’. Some critiques have pointed out that Agenda 21 was biased in favour of economic growth rather than ensuring ecological conservation.
The principle of “common but differentiated responsibility” encapsulates that-
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Special needs of developing countries must be taken into account while developing and interpreting rules of international environmental law.
Option (1) All countries are responsible for ecological conservation, irrespective of their contributions to global environmental degradation. — Incorrect. This is the view of the North, which wants everyone to be equally responsible. The principle says the opposite: responsibilities differ with each country’s contribution to the damage.
Option (2) All countries must pursue sustainable development, irrespective of their technological and financial resources. — Incorrect. The principle says that responsibilities are common but differentiated: every country shares the task, but how much each must do depends on how much damage it caused and what it is able to do. The Rio Declaration itself links the developed countries’ greater share to the technologies and financial resources they command. An option that asks the same of all countries ‘irrespective of their resources’ removes the very differentiation the principle stands for.
Option (3) Since ecological degradation is the product of industrial development, environmental restrictions apply equally to all countries. — Incorrect. The South argues that developing countries, still industrialising, must not be subjected to the same restrictions as the developed countries.
Option (4) Special needs of developing countries must be taken into account while developing and interpreting rules of international environmental law. — Correct. Countries share a common duty to protect the environment, but their duties differ by their contribution to the damage. The special needs of the developing countries must be taken into account; this was accepted in the Rio Declaration in 1992 and is called the principle of ‘common but differentiated responsibilities’.
Note 1: This passage is taken almost word for word from the NCERT chapter ‘Environment and Natural Resources’: the section ‘Common but Differentiated Responsibilities’ and the paragraph on the Rio Summit. Know these two paragraphs well and this whole case study becomes a matter of recall.
Note 2: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2026 on 11-05-2026 (Slot 2) and 21-05-2026 (Slot 1).
NCERT (2025-26): “Common but Differentiated Responsibilities … We have noted above a difference in the approach to environment between the countries of the North and the South. The developed countries of the North want to discuss the environmental issue as it stands now and want everyone to be equally responsible for ecological conservation. The developing countries of the South feel that much of the ecological degradation in the world is the product of industrial development undertaken by the developed countries. If they have caused more degradation, they must also take more responsibility for undoing the damage now. Moreover, the developing countries are in the process of industrialisation and they must not be subjected to the same restrictions, which apply to the developed countries. Thus the special needs of the developing countries must be taken into account in the development, application, and interpretation of rules of international environmental law. This argument was accepted in the Rio Declaration at the Earth Summit in 1992 and is called the principle of ‘common but differentiated responsibilities’.… Common but Differentiated Responsibilities … China, India, and other developing countries were, therefore, exempted from the requirements of the Kyoto Protocol.…” |