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Question 97

With reference to the Agreement at the UNFCCC Meeting in Paris in 2015, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. The Agreement was signed by all the member countries of the UN and it will go into effect in 2017.
2. The Agreement aims to limit the greenhouse gas emissions so that the rise in average global temperature by the end of this century does not exceed 2°C or even 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
3. Developed countries acknowledged their historical responsibility in global warming and committed to donate $ 1000 billion a year from 2020 to help developing countries to cope with climate change.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.

AOptions

A) 1 and 3 only

B) 2 only

C) 2 and 3 only

D) 1, 2 and 3

BSolution

Let's evaluate the statements regarding the UNFCCC Paris Agreement 2015:

1. The Agreement was signed by all the member countries of the UN and it will go into effect in 2017. This statement is incorrect. While the Paris Agreement was adopted by all 196 Parties to the UNFCCC, and many signed it, it did not go into effect in 2017. It entered into force on 4 November 2016, after a sufficient number of countries ratified it. Also, not *all* UN member countries have ratified or remained parties to it (e.g., the US briefly withdrew under the Trump administration).

2. The Agreement aims to limit the greenhouse gas emissions so that the rise in average global temperature by the end of this century does not exceed 2°C or even 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. This statement is correct. A central aim of the Paris Agreement is to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

3. Developed countries acknowledged their historical responsibility in global warming and committed to donate $ 1000 billion a year from 2020 to help developing countries to cope with climate change. This statement is incorrect. Developed countries committed to mobilize $100 *billion* per year (not $1000 billion or $1 trillion) by 2020 for climate finance to support developing countries. The figure mentioned ($1000 billion) is significantly higher and incorrect.

Therefore, only statement 2 is correct.

CStrategy

For questions on international agreements, especially climate accords, pay meticulous attention to specific targets (e.g., temperature goals), financial commitments (exact figures and timelines), and the entry-into-force dates. Be wary of exaggerated figures or absolute statements ('all countries') that might be factually inaccurate.

DSyllabus Analysis

This question falls under Environment and Ecology, specifically International Agreements and Climate Change, as part of Current Events.

EQuestion Analysis

Difficult. Requires precise factual knowledge of the Paris Agreement's provisions, including its entry into force and financial commitments.