Previous Year Question
With reference to the Agreement at the UNFCCC Meeting in Paris in 2015, which of the following statements is/are correct?
The Agreement was signed by all the member countries of the UN and it will go into effect in 2017.
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.
Developed countries acknowledged their historical responsibility in global warming and committed to donate $1,000 billion a year from 2020 to help developing countries to cope with climate change.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
1 and 3 only
2 only
2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Solution
The question relates to the Paris Agreement adopted at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, or COP21, in 2015.
The Paris Agreement was adopted in Paris on 12 December 2015.
Statement 1 is incorrect: The Paris Agreement was adopted at COP21, but all member countries of the United Nations had not signed it at that time.
The Agreement was opened for signature on 22 April 2016.
Signing the Agreement and its ratification, acceptance or approval by a country are separate legal stages.
For the Agreement to enter into force, it required ratification by at least 55 Parties accounting for at least 55% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
After the required threshold was achieved, the Paris Agreement entered into force on 4 November 2016, not in 2017.
Therefore, both the claims in Statement 1 concerning signatures and the time of entry into force are incorrect.
Statement 2 is correct: The temperature goal of the Paris Agreement is to hold the increase in global average temperature well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.
It also commits Parties to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C.
The limit of 1.5°C is considered particularly important for reducing the risks and impacts of climate change.
To achieve this goal, countries submit and periodically update their Nationally Determined Contributions.
Each successive contribution is expected to demonstrate progression and greater ambition compared with the previous contribution.
The Paris Agreement also covers adaptation, climate finance, technology transfer, capacity building and transparency arrangements along with mitigation.
Statement 3 is incorrect: The relevant climate-finance goal for developing countries was to mobilise 100 billion US dollars annually by 2020, not 1,000 billion dollars.
This financial goal originated from commitments expressed by developed countries before the Paris Agreement and was extended through the Paris decisions.
Developed countries were expected to take the lead in providing financial resources, but the amount of 1,000 billion dollars given in the statement is incorrect.
The Paris Agreement applies to all Parties but recognises the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities in the light of national circumstances.