Previous Year Question
Consider the following statements.
Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to reduce short-lived climate pollutants is a unique initiative of G20 group of countries.
The CCAC focuses on methane, black carbon and hydrofluorocarbons.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Only 1
Only 2
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Solution
The Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) is a voluntary international partnership working to reduce short-lived climate pollutants.
It was launched on 16 February 2012 by the United Nations Environment Programme and six countries.
These six countries were Bangladesh, Canada, Ghana, Mexico, Sweden and the United States.
Therefore, the CCAC was not launched as an initiative of the G20 group of countries. Hence, Statement 1 is not correct.
Along with national governments, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and scientific institutions participate in it.
The CCAC primarily focuses on short-lived climate pollutants such as methane, black carbon and hydrofluorocarbons. Therefore, Statement 2 is correct.
These pollutants remain in the atmosphere for a shorter period than carbon dioxide, but their impact on climate warming can be very high.
Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas and also contributes to the formation of tropospheric ozone.
Major anthropogenic sources of methane include agriculture, fossil-fuel production and distribution, and the waste sector.
Black carbon is a component of fine particulate matter produced by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, biofuels and biomass.
Black carbon deposited on snow and ice can accelerate their melting by increasing the absorption of sunlight.
Hydrofluorocarbons are human-made gases mainly used in refrigeration and air conditioning.
The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol aims to phase down the production and consumption of HFCs.
Reducing short-lived climate pollutants can benefit air quality, human health and crop production along with the climate.
Reduction of these pollutants complements, but does not replace, long-term reductions in carbon-dioxide emissions.