Environment & Ecology › Climate Change & Greenhouse Gases – UPSC Prelims PYQs

Consider the following statements with reference to India’s response to climate change : I. India’s Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS) is a crucial tool for achieving net-zero emissions by 2070. II. India’s 4th Biennial Update Report (BUR-4) submitted in December, 2024 recorded around 8% decrease in Greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 over 2019. III. Climate-resilient development necessarily depends on quick and short-term achievement of emission reduction targets.

1. Statement I is empirically supported by statement II.
2. Statement III contradicts the approach implicit in statement I.
3. Statement I and statement III together establish the premise of long-term sustainability.

Which of the following relationships among the above statements is/are correct ?

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Consider the following statements : I. Without the atmosphere, temperature would be well below freezing point everywhere on the Earth’s surface. II. Heat absorbed and trapped by the atmosphere maintains our planet’s average temperature. III. Atmosphere’s gases, like carbon dioxide, are particularly good at absorbing and trapping radiation.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Consider the following statements :

Statement I : Studies indicate that carbon dioxide emissions from cement industry account for more than 5% of global carbon emissions.

Statement II : Silica-bearing clay is mixed with limestone while manufacturing cement.

Statement III : Limestone is converted into lime during clinker production for cement manufacturing.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Consider the following statements : I. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in India are less than 0·5 t CO2/capita. II. In terms of CO2 emissions from fuel combustion, India ranks second in Asia-Pacific region. III. Electricity and heat producers are the largest sources of CO2 emissions in India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

One of the following regions has the world’s largest tropical peatland, which holds about three years worth of global carbon emissions from fossil fuels; and the possible destruction of which can exert detrimental effect on the global climate. Which one of the following denotes that region ?

Consider the following statements :

1. Some microorganisms can grow in environments with temperature above the boiling point of water.
2. Some microorganisms can grow in environments with temperature below the freezing point of water.
3. Some microorganisms can grow in highly acidic environment with a pH below 3.

How many of the above statements are correct?

Consider the following :

1. Aerosols
2. Foam agents
3. Fire retardants
4. Lubricants In the making of how many of the above are hydrofluorocarbons used?

Consider the following statements :

Statement-I : Carbon markets are likely to be one of the most widespread tools in the fight against climate change.

Statement-II : Carbon markets transfer resources from the private sector to the State.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Consider the following activities :

1. Spreading finely ground basalt rock on farmlands extensively
2. Increasing the alkalinity of oceans by adding lime
3. Capturing carbon dioxide released by various industries and pumping it into abandoned subterranean mines in the form of carbonated waters

How many of the above activities are often considered and discussed for carbon capture and sequestration?

Among the following crops, which one is the most important anthropogenic source of both methane and nitrous oxide ?

What is blue carbon?

The ‘Common Carbon Metric’, supported by UNEP, has been developed for

Which one of the following statements best describes the term 'Social Cost of Carbon' ? It is a measure, in monetary value, of the

In the context of which of the following do some scientists suggest the use of cirrus cloud thinning technique and the injection of sulphate aerosol into stratosphere?

Which of the following statements are correct about the deposits of 'methane hydrate'?

1. Global warming might trigger the release of methane gas from these deposits.
2. Large deposits of 'methane hydrate' are found in Arctic Tundra and under the seafloor.
3. Methane in atmosphere oxidizes to carbon dioxide after a decade or two.

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Which of the following statements best describes "carbon fertilization" ?

In the context of mitigating the impending global warming due to anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide, which of the following can be the potential sites for carbon sequestration ?

1. Abandoned and uneconomic coal seams
2. Depleted oil and gas reservoirs
3. Subterranean deep saline formations

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Consider the following statements :

1. Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to Reduce Short Lived Climate Pollutants is a unique initiative of G20 group of countries.
2. The CCAC focuses on methane, black carbon and hydrofluorocarbons.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

Consider the following pairs : Terms sometimes seen in the news Their origin

1. Annex-I Countries : Cartagena Protocol
2. Certified Emissions Reductions : Nagoya Protocol
3. Clean Development Mechanism : Kyoto Protocol

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

Which of the following best describes/describe the aim of 'Green India Mission' of the Government of India?

1. Incorporating environmental benefits and costs into the Union and State Budgets thereby implementing the 'green accounting'
2. Launching the second green revolution to enhance agricultural output so as to ensure food security to one and all in the future
3. Restoring and enhancing forest cover and responding to climate change by a combination of adaptation and mitigation measures

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What is 'Greenhouse Gas Protocol'?

The scientific view is that the increase in global temperature should not exceed 2 °C above pre-industrial level. If the global temperature increases beyond 3 °C above the pre-industrial level, what can be its possible impact/impacts on the world?

1. Terrestrial biosphere tends toward a net carbon source.
2. Widespread coral mortality will occur.
3. All the global wetlands will permanently disappear.
4. Cultivation of cereals will not be possible anywhere in the world.

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Consider the following statements regarding ‘Earth Hour’ :

1. It is an initiative of UNEP and UNESCO.
2. It is a movement in which the participants switch off the lights for one hour on a certain day every year.
3. It is a movement to raise the awareness about the climate change and the need to save the planet.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

If National Water Mission is properly and completely implemented, how will it impact the country?

1. Part of the water needs of urban areas will be met through recycling of waste-water.
2. The water requirements of coastal cities with inadequate alternative sources of water will be met by adopting appropriate technologies that allow for the use of ocean water.
3. All the rivers of Himalayan origin will be linked to the rivers of peninsular India.
4. The expenses incurred by farmers for digging bore-wells and for installing motors and pump-sets to draw groundwater will be completely reimbursed by the Government.

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The acidification of oceans is increasing. Why is this phenomenon a cause of concern?

1. The growth and survival of calcareous phytoplankton will be adversely affected.
2. The growth and survival of coral reefs will be adversely affected.
3. The survival of some animals that have phytoplanktonic larvae will be adversely affected.
4. The cloud seeding and formation of clouds will be adversely affected.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

The increasing amount of carbon dioxide in the air is slowly raising the temperature of the atmosphere, because it absorbs

Regarding “carbon credits”,

which one of the following statements is not correct?

Due to their extensive rice cultivation, some regions may be contributing to global warming. To what possible reason/reasons is this attributable?

1. The anaerobic conditions associated with rice cultivation cause the emission of methane.
2. When nitrogen based fertilizers are used, nitrous oxide is emitted from the cultivated soil.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

What are the possible limitations of India in mitigating the global warming at present and in the immediate future ?

1. Appropriate alternate technologies are not sufficiently available.
2. India cannot invest huge funds in research and development.
3. Many developed countries have already set up their polluting industries in India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

Consider the following which can be found in the ambient atmosphere :

1. Soot
2. Sulphur hexafluoride
3. Water vapour

Which of the above contribute to the warming up of the atmosphere ?

In the context of CO₂ emission and Global Warming, what is the name of a market-driven device under the UNFCCC that allows developing countries to get funds/incentives from the developed countries to adopt better technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions ?

The concept of carbon credit originated from which one of the following ?

Consider the following:

1. Rice fields
2. Coal mining
3. Domestic animals
4. Wetlands

Which of the above are sources of methane, a major greenhouse gas?

Consider the following statements:

1. Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) in respect of carbon credits is one of the Kyoto Protocol Mechanisms.
2. Under the CDM, the projects handled pertain only to the Annex-I countries.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Which one of the following countries is the first country in the world to propose a carbon tax for its people to address global warming?