Previous Year Question

The Limits to Growth (1972) was a report prepared by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for the Club of Rome. Its principal authors included Donella Meadows, Dennis Meadows, Jørgen Randers, and William Behrens. The study used the World3 Computer Model to analyse interactions among population growth, industrial production, food production, natural resource depletion, and pollution. It warned about the long-term consequences of uncontrolled physical growth on a planet with finite natural resources.

The Brundtland Commission Report (1987) was officially titled Our Common Future. It was prepared by the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) under the chairmanship of Gro Harlem Brundtland, a former Prime Minister of Norway. The report defined Sustainable Development as development that meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It emphasized the need to balance environmental protection, economic development, and social requirements.

The Montreal Protocol was adopted on 16 September 1987 in Montreal, Canada, but entered into force on 1 January 1989. Its principal objective is to phase out the production and consumption of substances that deplete the Stratospheric Ozone Layer, particularly Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and Halons. It was developed under the Vienna Convention of 1985.

The Rio Earth Summit (1992) was held from 3 to 14 June 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Its official name was the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). The conference emphasized the integration of environmental protection and economic development. Its major achievements included the Rio Declaration, Agenda 21, and Forest Principles. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) were also opened for signature during the conference.