UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Montreal Protocol, signed on September 16, 1987, turned a 1970s scientific hypothesis into a successful international environmental treaty. How well do you know its story?

Q1. In stratospheric ozone monitoring, the term 'ozone hole' over a polar region is operationally defined as the condition in which:

  • A. Stratospheric ozone above the region is destroyed entirely, leaving a column value of zero Dobson Units
  • B. Every layer of the stratosphere above the region loses more than half of its ozone concentration
  • C. The total column ozone above the region falls below 220 Dobson Units
  • D. Total column ozone above the region stays below 220 Dobson Units in all twelve months of the year

Q2. With reference to the scientific work that underpinned the ozone-protection regime, consider the following statements: 1. In 1974 Mario Molina and F. Sherwood Rowland published the finding that chlorofluorocarbons released at the surface can destroy ozone in the stratosphere. 2. Paul Crutzen had shown in 1970 that compounds of sulphur oxides accelerate the destruction of stratospheric ozone. 3. Large seasonal losses of total ozone over Antarctica were first reported in 1985 by scientists of the British Antarctic Survey using records from its Antarctic stations. 4. Crutzen, Molina and Rowland shared the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1995 for their work in atmospheric chemistry. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. In 1974 Mario Molina and F. Sherwood Rowland published the finding that chlorofluorocarbons released at the surface can destroy ozone in the stratosphere.
  2. Paul Crutzen had shown in 1970 that compounds of sulphur oxides accelerate the destruction of stratospheric ozone.
  3. Large seasonal losses of total ozone over Antarctica were first reported in 1985 by scientists of the British Antarctic Survey using records from its Antarctic stations.
  4. Crutzen, Molina and Rowland shared the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1995 for their work in atmospheric chemistry.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 4 only

Q3. Consider the following statements comparing the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol: 1. Together they became the first treaties in the history of the United Nations to achieve universal ratification. 2. The Vienna Convention entered into force in 1988, a year before the Montreal Protocol entered into force. 3. Unlike the Vienna Convention, the Montreal Protocol is administered by the World Meteorological Organization. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Together they became the first treaties in the history of the United Nations to achieve universal ratification.
  2. The Vienna Convention entered into force in 1988, a year before the Montreal Protocol entered into force.
  3. Unlike the Vienna Convention, the Montreal Protocol is administered by the World Meteorological Organization.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q4. With reference to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, 1985, consider the following statements: 1. It was concluded under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme, whose then Executive Director Mostafa Tolba is credited with brokering the ozone agreements. 2. It obliges parties to co-operate in research, systematic observation and the exchange of information relating to the ozone layer. 3. It fixed the first legally binding, time-bound reduction targets for chlorofluorocarbons. 4. It is the parent framework convention, of which the instrument adopted at Montreal in 1987 is a protocol. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. It was concluded under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme, whose then Executive Director Mostafa Tolba is credited with brokering the ozone agreements.
  2. It obliges parties to co-operate in research, systematic observation and the exchange of information relating to the ozone layer.
  3. It fixed the first legally binding, time-bound reduction targets for chlorofluorocarbons.
  4. It is the parent framework convention, of which the instrument adopted at Montreal in 1987 is a protocol.
  • A. 3 only
  • B. 1 and 3
  • C. 3 and 4
  • D. 2 and 4

Q5. Which one of the following amendments to the Montreal Protocol was the earliest to be adopted by the Meeting of the Parties?

  • A. The Beijing Amendment, adopted at the Eleventh Meeting of the Parties
  • B. The London Amendment, adopted at the Second Meeting of the Parties
  • C. The Copenhagen Amendment, adopted at the Fourth Meeting of the Parties
  • D. The Montreal Amendment, adopted at the Ninth Meeting of the Parties

Q6. How many amendments have so far been adopted to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer?

  • A. Three
  • B. Four
  • C. Five
  • D. Seven

Q7. Under the Kigali Amendment schedule applicable to India, the first control obligation on hydrofluorocarbons — the freeze on production and consumption — takes effect in the year:

  • A. 2024
  • B. 2028
  • C. 2032
  • D. 2047

Q8. Which one of the following is designated as India's national unit responsible for implementing the Montreal Protocol and the phase-out of controlled substances?

  • A. The Ozone Monitoring Unit of the India Meteorological Department, Ministry of Earth Sciences
  • B. The Central Pollution Control Board, a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
  • C. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency, a statutory body under the Ministry of Power
  • D. The Ozone Cell of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

Q9. In the Montreal Protocol regime, the expression 'Article 5 Party' refers to:

  • A. A party that has ratified every amendment to the Protocol and is thereby eligible to chair the Meeting of the Parties
  • B. A developing country whose per capita consumption of controlled substances is below a specified limit, entitled to delayed compliance and financial assistance
  • C. A party that communicates its reduction pledge to the Secretariat once every five years in the form of a nationally determined contribution
  • D. A party that hosts one of the Protocol's scientific assessment panels and bears the operating cost of that panel

Q10. The Executive Committee that oversees the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol consists of how many members?

  • A. Ten
  • B. Twelve
  • C. Fourteen
  • D. Twenty-one

Q11. Consider the following statements regarding the projected return of the ozone layer to its 1980 values, assuming current policies remain in place: 1. Total column ozone over the Antarctic is projected to return to 1980 values by around 2040. 2. Ozone over the Arctic is projected to return to 1980 values by around 2045. 3. The rest of the world is projected to reach the 1980 values earlier than either polar region. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Total column ozone over the Antarctic is projected to return to 1980 values by around 2040.
  2. Ozone over the Arctic is projected to return to 1980 values by around 2045.
  3. The rest of the world is projected to reach the 1980 values earlier than either polar region.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q12. With reference to India's implementation of the Montreal Protocol, consider the following statements: 1. India became a Party to the Montreal Protocol in 1992 and ratified the Kigali Amendment in 2021. 2. India phased out chlorofluorocarbons, carbon tetrachloride, halons, methyl bromide and methyl chloroform for controlled uses with effect from 1 January 2010. 3. Stage-III of India's HCFC Phase-out Management Plan is being implemented over the period 2023 to 2030. 4. The India Cooling Action Plan, launched in 2019, was framed with a time horizon of five years. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. India became a Party to the Montreal Protocol in 1992 and ratified the Kigali Amendment in 2021.
  2. India phased out chlorofluorocarbons, carbon tetrachloride, halons, methyl bromide and methyl chloroform for controlled uses with effect from 1 January 2010.
  3. Stage-III of India's HCFC Phase-out Management Plan is being implemented over the period 2023 to 2030.
  4. The India Cooling Action Plan, launched in 2019, was framed with a time horizon of five years.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • B. 1 and 4 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 3 and 4 only