UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — India reaffirms Commitment to Climate Multilateralism and a Fair, Ambitious Outcome at UNFCCC COP31, in Antalya (Türkiye)

Q1. With reference to the provisions on climate finance under the Paris Agreement, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Paris Agreement created, for the first time, an obligation on developed countries to provide financial resources to developing countries.
  2. Only developed country Parties are under an obligation to provide financial resources, while other Parties are encouraged to contribute voluntarily.
  3. The obligation of developed country Parties to provide financial resources covers mitigation alone, adaptation being left to voluntary contributions.
  • A. 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1 only

Q2. Consider the following assertion: India argues that the finance obligation under Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement should not be diluted into a collective effort shared by all countries. Which of the statements given above support/supports the above assertion?

  1. The obligation to provide financial resources is placed on developed country Parties, in continuation of their obligations under the Convention.
  2. The principle of CBDR-RC links the extent of a Party's obligations to its responsibility for the problem and its capability to act.
  3. The New Collective Quantified Goal made the USD 300 billion annual goal an obligation shared equally by all Parties with large current emissions.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q3. With reference to the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance and its follow-up at COP30, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. The core layer of the goal is to be mobilised for developing countries with developed countries taking the lead.
  2. The wider call to scale up finance to developing countries counts flows from both public and private sources.
  3. The USD 1.3 trillion figure replaced the USD 300 billion figure as a binding obligation on developed country governments.
  4. Since the wider call counts private as well as public flows, progress towards it can be reported even if public finance from developed countries does not increase.
  • A. 1, 3 and 4 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 4 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q4. With reference to the institutional structure of the UN climate regime, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Conference of the Parties is the supreme decision-making body of the UNFCCC.
  2. The Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement each have a supreme body formed by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of their respective Parties.
  3. Decisions of the Conference of the Parties are ordinarily adopted by consensus rather than by majority vote.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 2 and 3 only

Q5. With reference to the negotiating groups with which India aligned its statement at COP31, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. All four members of the BASIC group also take part in the wider G77 and China bloc.
  2. Because India aligns with group statements, it cannot deliver a statement in its national capacity at the COP.
  3. The LMDC group has its roots in alignments within the G77 and China and is narrower in membership than it.
  • A. 2 and 3 only
  • B. 1 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3