"Climate Change & Environmental Policy" — Practice

Question 1

The greenhouse effect, in its natural form, is:
(a) an essential process without which Earth would be too cold to support life (b) entirely a human-caused problem with no natural component (c) identical in meaning to ozone layer depletion (d) caused only by CFCs

Accepted Answer

(a) an essential process without which Earth would be too cold to support life.

Global warming refers specifically to the problem of human activity intensifying this natural effect beyond normal levels.

Question 2

Which greenhouse gas has a significantly higher Global Warming Potential (GWP) per molecule than CO2, despite a shorter atmospheric lifetime?
(a) Methane (b) Oxygen (c) Nitrogen (d) Argon

Accepted Answer

(a) Methane.

Methane's higher GWP means smaller absolute quantities cause disproportionately large warming effects compared to CO2, though it persists in the atmosphere for a shorter period.

Question 3

CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) contribute to which TWO distinct environmental problems?
(a) both stratospheric ozone depletion and global warming (b) only global warming, not ozone depletion (c) only ozone depletion, not global warming (d) neither ozone depletion nor global warming

Accepted Answer

(a) both stratospheric ozone depletion and global warming.

These remain two separate environmental problems addressed by separate international instruments — the Montreal Protocol for ozone, and UNFCCC/Kyoto/Paris for climate change.

Question 4

The UNFCCC, the foundational international climate treaty, was established at which summit?
(a) the 1992 Rio Earth Summit (b) the 2015 Paris COP21 (c) the 1997 Kyoto conference (d) the 1972 Stockholm Conference

Accepted Answer

(a) the 1992 Rio Earth Summit.

UNFCCC created the annual Conference of Parties (COP) meeting structure, under which both the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement were later adopted.

Question 5

The Kyoto Protocol (1997) set binding emission-reduction targets specifically for:
(a) developed countries (Annex I parties) only (b) all countries, developed and developing alike (c) developing countries only (d) no countries — it was purely advisory

Accepted Answer

(a) developed countries (Annex I parties) only.

This reflected the 'common but differentiated responsibilities' principle, acknowledging developed nations' greater historical emissions responsibility.

Question 6

A key structural feature of the Paris Agreement (2015) that distinguishes it from the Kyoto Protocol is:
(a) it covers both developed and developing countries through voluntary NDCs (b) it applies only to developed countries (c) it sets legally binding emission caps enforced by international courts (d) it replaced the UNFCCC entirely

Accepted Answer

(a) it covers both developed and developing countries through voluntary NDCs.

Each country submits its own Nationally Determined Contributions, reviewed and updated periodically, rather than facing externally imposed binding targets.

Question 7

The principle of 'common but differentiated responsibilities' (CBDR) holds that:
(a) developed countries bear greater responsibility for emission reductions due to historical emissions (b) all countries bear identical responsibility regardless of history (c) only developing countries bear responsibility (d) responsibility is assigned randomly by the UN

Accepted Answer

(a) developed countries bear greater responsibility for emission reductions due to historical emissions.

This foundational principle underpins the structural differences between the Kyoto Protocol and the more universally-applicable Paris Agreement.

Question 8

The Paris Agreement's core temperature goal is to limit global warming to:
(a) well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, pursuing efforts toward 1.5°C (b) exactly 5°C above pre-industrial levels (c) zero increase above pre-industrial levels (d) below 10°C above pre-industrial levels

Accepted Answer

(a) well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, pursuing efforts toward 1.5°C.

This remains the central benchmark against which global and national climate commitments are measured.

Question 9

The International Solar Alliance (ISA), headquartered in India, was launched jointly by India and:
(a) France, at COP21 in Paris (2015) (b) the United States (c) China (d) the United Kingdom

Accepted Answer

(a) France, at COP21 in Paris (2015).

ISA is a coalition of solar-resource-rich countries promoting solar energy deployment, headquartered in Gurugram, India.

Question 10

India's National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) comprises multiple:
(a) National Missions covering areas like solar energy, energy efficiency and sustainable habitat (b) international treaties (c) UN Security Council resolutions (d) state-level constitutional amendments

Accepted Answer

(a) National Missions covering areas like solar energy, energy efficiency and sustainable habitat.

This is India's domestic climate strategy framework, distinct from its internationally submitted NDCs under the Paris Agreement.

Question 11

The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, was enacted specifically in response to:
(a) the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, 1984 (b) the Chernobyl disaster (c) the Kyoto Protocol's adoption (d) the Stockholm Conference of 1972

Accepted Answer

(a) the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, 1984.

This 'umbrella' Act gave the central government broad powers to protect and improve the environment, coordinating the more specific Water, Air and Forest Acts.

Question 12

The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, requires which authority's approval for diverting forest land to non-forest purposes?
(a) the central government (b) the state government alone (c) the local Panchayat (d) no approval is required for any diversion

Accepted Answer

(a) the central government.

A state government alone cannot divert forest land for non-forest use without this central clearance — a frequently tested federalism-in-environmental-law detail.

Question 13

The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, established which regulatory bodies?
(a) the Central and State Pollution Control Boards (b) the National Green Tribunal (c) the National Biodiversity Authority (d) the Ministry of Environment

Accepted Answer

(a) the Central and State Pollution Control Boards.

The subsequent Air Act, 1981, extended this same CPCB/SPCB framework's mandate to cover air quality regulation.

Question 14

The National Green Tribunal (NGT), established under the NGT Act of 2010, is best described as:
(a) a specialised tribunal for the speedy disposal of environment-related cases with technical expertise (b) an ordinary civil court with no special environmental focus (c) a wing of the Ministry of Finance (d) an international body under the UNFCCC

Accepted Answer

(a) a specialised tribunal for the speedy disposal of environment-related cases with technical expertise.

Its specialised, expert-driven structure distinguishes it from ordinary courts handling general litigation.

Question 15

India's NDC target on 'emissions intensity reduction' refers to reducing:
(a) emissions per unit of GDP, allowing continued economic growth while lowering carbon intensity (b) total absolute emissions regardless of economic growth (c) only emissions from the agricultural sector (d) emissions from international aviation only

Accepted Answer

(a) emissions per unit of GDP, allowing continued economic growth while lowering carbon intensity.

This distinguishes an intensity-based target from an absolute emissions cap, which India's NDCs do not adopt.

Practice — "Climate Change & Environmental Policy"

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