Climate Change

Direct Air Capture (DAC) is a technology that removes CO₂ directly from the air for storage or use in various industries.

Statement I is correct: * DAC captures CO₂ for carbon sequestration, reducing greenhouse gases.

Statement II is correct: * Captured CO₂ can be used to make plastics and in food processing.

Statement III is correct: * DAC provides carbon to make synthetic low-carbon aviation fuels by combining with hydrogen.

So, the correct answer is: C

Statement I is correct: The World Bank's report on India's cooling sector and climate vulnerability highlights that extreme heat stress (wet-bulb temperatures) is linked to a wider set of climate implications, including more frequent and intense tropical cyclones, flooding, and droughts, particularly affecting the vulnerable Peninsular region.

Statement II is correct: The wet-bulb temperature is a measure that combines heat and humidity. At 35°C wet-bulb, the air is too saturated for sweat to evaporate, preventing the body from shedding heat. This makes survival physically impossible for humans and animals without external cooling.

A. The European Union: The Nature Restoration Law (NRL) is an EU legislative initiative adopted in 2024. It sets binding targets to restore ecosystems, fight climate change, and protect biodiversity across EU member states.

B. The World Bank: An international financial institution providing loans and grants; it does not enact laws like the NRL.

C. OECD: An organization promoting economic cooperation and policy coordination; it does not enact binding environmental laws such as the NRL.

D. FAO: A UN agency focused on hunger and agriculture; it does not enact regional laws like the NRL.

India's CO₂ emissions come mainly from fuel combustion, especially electricity generation, and per capita emissions are higher than 0.5 tonnes.

Statement I is incorrect: * India's per capita CO₂ emissions are around 1.9-2.0 tonnes, higher than 0.5 t CO₂/capita.

Statement II is correct: * India ranks second in the Asia-Pacific for total CO₂ emissions from fuel combustion, after China.

Statement III is correct: * Electricity and heat production (mainly coal-based) is the largest source of India's CO₂ emissions.

So, the correct answer is: C

At COP28, India chose not to sign the "Declaration on Climate and Health," and this decision can be understood by analyzing the nature of the declaration and India's concerns.

Statement I: Correct. India did not sign the COP28 Declaration on Climate and Health, unlike over 120 other countries.

Statement II: Incorrect. The declaration is not legally binding; it is a voluntary political commitment. Signing it does not legally mandate countries to decarbonize their health sectors immediately.

Statement III: Correct. India's concern is that rapid decarbonization of its health sector could compromise the resilience and accessibility of healthcare services, given current developmental challenges and resource constraints.

Therefore, only Statement III correctly explains Statement I, while Statement II is factually wrong about the binding nature of the declaration.

The Congo Basin is home to the Cuvette Centrale, which is the world's largest tropical peatland complex. Spanning the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo, this peatland covers about 145,000 square kilometres and stores approximately 30 billion tonnes of carbon—a value roughly equivalent to three years of global fossil fuel emissions. The protection of this region is highlighted by the Brazzaville Declaration (2018), signed by the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Indonesia, to prevent land-use changes and drainage that would release this stored carbon and exacerbate global climate change.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Insolation reaches the earth's surface in short waves and heat is radiated from the earth in long waves, Hence energy leaving the earth's surface i.e. terrestrial radiation heats up the atmosphere more than the incoming solar radiation i.e. insolation.


Statement 2 is correct. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (such as water vapour and carbon dioxide) absorb most of the Earth's emitted longwave infrared radiation, which heats the lower atmosphere.

* Statement 1 is correct. According to the United Nations World Water Development Report 2022, with an estimated 251 km3 annual withdrawal from an estimated 20 million wells and tube wells, India is the world's greatest groundwater user. This accounts for more than a quarter of the total groundwater extracted internationally.

* Statement 2 is incorrect. India uses about 89% of this groundwater for irrigation. Major share of total groundwater extracted by India is utilised for irrigation purposes and not for drinking and sanitation purposes.

All three activities mentioned are indeed methods often considered and discussed for carbon capture and sequestration.

* Spreading finely ground basalt rock on farmlands extensively is known as enhanced weathering. The basalt reacts with carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and forms stable carbonates, effectively storing the carbon dioxide and preventing it from contributing to global warming.

* Increasing the alkalinity of oceans by adding lime can help absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The increased alkalinity enhances the ocean's capacity to act as a carbon sink.

* Capturing carbon dioxide released by various industries and pumping it into abandoned subterranean mines in the form of carbonated waters is a direct method of carbon capture and sequestration where carbon dioxide is captured at its source and then stored in a way that prevents it from being released into the atmosphere.

The Assertion is Correct: Carbon markets, such as Cap-and-Trade systems and voluntary offset markets, are recognized under the Paris Agreement (Article 6) as essential market-based tools to incentivize emission reductions by putting a price on carbon.

The Reason is Correct: Carbon markets often involve the transfer of resources from the private sector to the State, especially when governments auction emission allowances or permits, thereby generating public revenue from private emitters.

Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I because the widespread adoption of carbon markets is driven by their ability to achieve climate targets at the lowest economic cost through market flexibility, rather than the specific fiscal mechanism of transferring funds to the State.

The Climate Action Tracker (CAT) is an independent scientific analysis that tracks government climate action and measures it against the globally agreed Paris Agreement aim of holding warming well below 2C, and pursuing efforts to limit warming to 1.5C.

A collaboration of two organisations, Climate Analytics and NewClimate Institute, the CAT has been providing this independent analysis to policymakers since 2009. CAT quantifies and evaluates climate change mitigation targets, policies, and actions. It also aggregates country action to the global level, determining likely temperature increases during the 21st century using the MAGICC climate model. CAT further develops sectoral analysis to illustrate the required pathways for meeting the global temperature goals.

Statement 1 is Correct: The Climate Group is an international non-profit organization launched in 2004 with offices in London, New York, New Delhi, Amsterdam, and Beijing. It drives climate action by building and coordinating large networks of businesses and governments.

Statement 2 is Incorrect: EP100 is a global initiative led by The Climate Group in partnership with the Alliance to Save Energy. The International Energy Agency (IEA) is not the founding partner of this initiative.

Statement 3 is Correct: EP100 brings together a growing group of energy-smart companies committed to improving their energy productivity. By integrating ambitious energy targets into business strategies, these companies drive innovation in energy efficiency and increase competitiveness while meeting emission reduction goals.

Statement 4 is Correct: Several Indian companies are members of EP100. For instance, Mahindra & Mahindra was the first Indian company to join the initiative, followed by others like Dalmia Cement and UltraTech Cement.

Statement 5 is Incorrect: The Climate Group serves as the Secretariat for the Under2 Coalition, not the International Energy Agency. The coalition is a global community of state and regional governments committed to keeping global temperature rise well below 2°C.

Methane and nitrous oxide emissions from rice farms could have the same long-term warming impact as about 600 coal plants.

Rice cultivation emits methane and nitrous oxide due to flooded fields and nitrogen-based fertilizers. Flooding creates anaerobic conditions, producing methane released through rice plants. Fertilizers poorly absorbed by rice lead to soil microbes converting nitrogen into nitrous oxide.

"Blue Carbon" designates carbon that is fixed via coastal ocean ecosystems , rather than traditional land ecosystems, like forests .

Although the ocean's vegetated habitats cover less than 0.5% of the seabed, they are responsible for more than 50%, and potentially up to 70%, of all carbon storage in ocean sediments.

The term 'Social Cost of Carbon' is a measure of the economic damages, in dollars, that would result from emitting one additional ton of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

It is used to value the climate impacts of rulemakings and helps policymakers understand the economic impacts of decisions that would increase or decrease emissions.

Therefore, it is best described as the long-term damage done by a tonne of carbon dioxide emissions in a given year.

Statement 1 is correct: Global warming poses a significant threat to methane hydrate deposits. These icy structures, found in permafrost and deep-sea sediments, can destabilize as temperatures rise, releasing methane into the atmosphere. Since methane is a potent greenhouse gas its release could create a positive feedback loop, further accelerating global warming.

Statement 2 is correct: Large deposits of methane hydrate are primarily found in two locations: 1. Arctic Tundra: Permafrost soils in the Arctic hold significant methane hydrate reserves, which are at risk of melting due to rising temperatures. 2. Seafloor Deposits: Continental margins and deep ocean sediments contain vast methane hydrate reserves. Changes in ocean temperature and pressure fluctuations can trigger their release.

Statement 3 is correct: After about 12 years, the methane is converted into carbon dioxide through hydroxyl oxidation. While CO₂ is a less potent greenhouse gas than methane, its longer atmospheric lifetime means it continues contributing to long-term climate change.

Therefore, option (D) 1, 2 and 3 is correct.

* Carbon fertilization is the increased rate of photosynthesis in plants due to the higher concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

* During Photosynthesis plants absorb carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere, along with water and sunlight, to produce sugars (glucose) that provide energy for growth. This process releases oxygen (O₂) as a byproduct.

* The concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere is currently at its highest level in millions of years, primarily due to human activities such as fossil fuel combustion and deforestation.

* Many plants respond to higher CO₂ levels with an increased rate of photosynthesis, enabling them to produce more sugars, which can lead to faster growth and higher biomass production.

The term "sixth mass extinction" is used in the context of discussions about the current rapid decline in biodiversity and the potential for it to be as significant as the five major extinction events in Earth's history.

Mass extinction events: Throughout Earth's history, there have been five major extinction events where a large percentage of species (estimated at 75% or more) disappeared in a geologically short period. Examples include the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event that wiped out non-avian dinosaurs.

Sixth mass extinction: Scientists are concerned that human activities like habitat destruction, climate change, pollution, and overexploitation of resources are causing a mass extinction event that could be as severe as the previous ones.

Thus, the correct answer is 'D'.

All three options (1, 2, and 3) can be potential sites for carbon sequestration

Abandoned and uneconomic coal seams: These underground coal mines already have existing rock formations suitable for storing carbon dioxide. Since they are no longer operational, they can be repurposed for CO2 storage, potentially with the added benefit of enhancing methane capture from abandoned mines.

Depleted oil and gas reservoirs: Once oil and gas reserves are depleted, they still have porous rock structures that can trap injected carbon dioxide. Repurposing these reservoirs for carbon storage leverages existing infrastructure and reduces the need for drilling new wells.

Subterranean deep saline formations: Deep saline formations are layers of rock saturated with briny water, far below freshwater resources. Their geological properties allow for the storage of large volumes of carbon dioxide with minimal risk of leakage or contamination of freshwater sources.

Statement 1 is correct: The GCCA was established by the European Union to enhance climate cooperation with developing nations, particularly Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

Statement 2 is correct: A core objective of the GCCA is to provide technical and financial assistance to developing countries, helping them integrate climate change adaptation and mitigation into their national policies, development strategies, and budgets.

Statement 3 is incorrect: The GCCA is coordinated by the European Commission through its established political dialogue and cooperation mechanisms. It is not managed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) or the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).

The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol is a globally recognized framework for measuring, managing, and reporting greenhouse gas emissions. It was developed through a collaboration between the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) to ensure a standardized and transparent approach to GHG accounting.

The protocol helps businesses, governments, and organizations track their emissions consistently, facilitating accurate comparisons across sectors and regions. By providing clear guidelines for carbon accounting, it plays a crucial role in climate action strategies, regulatory compliance, and corporate sustainability efforts worldwide.

Statement 1 is Incorrect: Green accounting involves incorporating environmental benefits and costs into the national and state budgets. This is a separate economic and statistical initiative and is not an objective of the Green India Mission.

Statement 2 is Incorrect: The Second Green Revolution (or Evergreen Revolution) focuses on enhancing agricultural productivity and food security through sustainable methods. The Green India Mission, however, is one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) specifically focused on forestry.

Statement 3 is Correct: The primary aim of the National Mission for a Green India (GIM) is to protect, restore, and enhance India's forest cover and respond to climate change. Its goals include increasing forest/tree cover on 5 million hectares (mha) and improving the quality of forest cover on another 5 mha, thereby enhancing ecosystem services like carbon sequestration.

Statement 1 is correct: The Forest Carbon Partnership Facility is a global partnership of governments, businesses, civil society, and Indigenous Peoples focused on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, forest carbon stock conservation, the sustainable management of forests, and the enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries (activities commonly referred to as REDD).

Statement 2 is incorrect: The FCPF focuses on assisting developing countries with REDD initiatives, not funding individual scientific research.

Statement 3 is correct: To assist countries in their REDD efforts by providing them with financial and technical assistance in building their capacity to benefit from possible future systems of positive incentives for REDD.

Statement 1 is correct: At such high temperatures, tipping points like widespread forest dieback and permafrost thaw would release vast amounts of stored carbon, causing the land to emit more carbon than it absorbs.

Statement 2 is correct: Scientific consensus indicates that even at 2°C of warming, over 99% of coral reefs are expected to be lost. A 3°C rise would ensure their catastrophic and widespread collapse.

Statement 3 is incorrect: The word "All" is an extreme overstatement. While many wetlands would be severely damaged or lost, it is not scientifically plausible that every single one would disappear permanently.

Statement 4 is incorrect: The term "anywhere" is an exaggeration. While global food production would be devastated, cultivation would not become impossible everywhere; it might shift to new, higher-latitude regions.

Lake Faguibine in Mali is a prime example of increasing aridity . Here's how it changed over the years, as seen through false-color Landsat satellite images - Initially, it was one of the largest lakes in West Africa, fed by the Niger River during floods. - In 1974, it spanned approximately 590 square kilometers (230 square miles). - A decline in precipitation from the late 1980s led to its gradual drying. - By the late 1990s, traditional livelihoods like fishing , agriculture , and livestock herding became impractical. - Despite the resumption of normal rainfall after 2000, the lake has remained nearly dry.

Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa and remains filled with water. Lake Oguta is located in Nigeria and is still a freshwater lake. Lake Volta is one of the largest artificial lake by surface area in the world and remains filled with water from the Volta River.