UPSC Prelims 2022 Q42: Climate Group, EP100 & Under2 Coalition
Consider the following statements:
1. "The Climate Group" is an international non-profit organization that drives climate action by building large networks and runs them.
2. The International Energy Agency in partnership with the Climate Group launched a global initiative "EP100".
3. EP100 brings together leading companies committed to driving innovation in energy efficiency and increasing competitiveness while delivering on emission reduction goals.
4. Some Indian companies are members of EP100.
5. The International Energy Agency is the Secretariat to the "Under2 Coalition".
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- 1, 2, 4 and 5
- 1, 3 and 4 only
- 2, 3 and 5 only
- 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
Answer: (b) 1, 3 and 4 only
Statement-wise explanation
- 1: correct — Climate Group (earlier "The Climate Group") describes itself as an international non-profit founded in 2004, with offices in London, New Delhi and New York. It works by building and running large networks of businesses and governments. Examples are RE100 (renewable power), EP100 (energy productivity), EV100 (electric vehicles) and the Under2 Coalition of state and regional governments.
- 2: incorrect — The International Energy Agency did not launch EP100. Climate Group launched it on 11 May 2016 at the Energy Efficiency Global Forum (EE Global) in Washington D.C. The Alliance to Save Energy hosts that forum. EP100 is a commitment under the We Mean Business coalition, and Mahindra & Mahindra had joined a month before the launch. The IEA is an intergovernmental body of member countries. It does not run Climate Group's business campaigns.
- 3: correct — EP100 brings together energy-smart companies that commit to measuring, improving and reporting their energy efficiency. A typical commitment is to double energy productivity within 25 years of joining. The pitch is that using less energy per unit of output cuts costs, which makes companies more competitive, while it also cuts emissions.
- 4: correct — Mahindra & Mahindra was one of the first EP100 members, joining in April 2016. A Climate Group release of April 2024 named these Indian members: Chalet Hotels, Dalmia Cement, Godrej Industries, Godrej & Boyce, JK Lakshmi Cement, Mahindra & Mahindra, Mahindra Heavy Engines, Mahindra Holidays and Resorts, Swaraj Engines and UltraTech.
- 5: incorrect — Climate Group is the Secretariat of the Under2 Coalition, not the IEA. The coalition began as a memorandum of understanding signed in Sacramento, California, on 19 May 2015. Its members are subnational governments (states, regions, provinces) committed to net-zero emissions by 2050 at the latest. Indian members include Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Punjab, which joined in July 2022.
How to eliminate
Statements 2 and 5 both put the International Energy Agency into roles that belong to Climate Group: launching EP100 and running the Under2 Coalition. This was a common UPSC trick that year: a well-known intergovernmental body is swapped in for the non-profit that actually runs a network. If you know only one fact, that Climate Group itself runs its networks (statement 1), then 2 and 5 become doubtful. Removing 2 leaves only the option with 1, 3 and 4. Statement 3 is general and reads like a mission statement, and such lines are usually true. Statement 4 is likely true because large Indian firms such as Mahindra, Godrej and UltraTech are visible in global corporate climate pledges. The fact to remember is that Climate Group runs RE100, EP100, EV100 and the Under2 Coalition; the IEA runs none of them.
Know more
Climate Group and its networks
Climate Group is an international non-profit founded in 2004, with offices in London, New Delhi and New York. It does not make policy itself. It builds coalitions of companies and governments that make public, measurable climate pledges and report progress every year. Most of its business campaigns run under the umbrella of the We Mean Business coalition.
| Network | Who joins | Core commitment |
|---|---|---|
| RE100 | Large companies | 100% renewable electricity |
| EP100 | Companies | Smarter energy use; e.g. double energy productivity within 25 years |
| EV100 | Companies | Shift fleets to electric vehicles |
| Under2 Coalition | States, regions, provinces | Net-zero by 2050 at the latest; Climate Group is Secretariat |
EP100 was launched on 11 May 2016 at EE Global in Washington D.C. Energy productivity means economic output per unit of energy used. It is the inverse of energy intensity. Doubling it means producing the same output with half the energy.
Under2 Coalition takes its name from the goal of keeping warming "well below 2°C". It began with an MoU in Sacramento in 2015. It now has more than 180 subnational governments. Indian members include Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Punjab.
Do not confuse with the IEA. The International Energy Agency (Paris, 1974) is an intergovernmental body set up after the oil crisis. It publishes the World Energy Outlook. India is an Association country, not a full member.
India link: India's own energy-efficiency system runs through the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (Energy Conservation Act, 2001). This covers the PAT scheme for industry and the star labels for appliances. EP100 is a voluntary corporate pledge that sits beside these rules.
In the news
Indian companies' net-zero and energy-efficiency pledges were in the news around COP26 (Glasgow, November 2021), where India announced its 2070 net-zero target. Climate Group's India work (RE100, EP100, and Indian states in the Under2 Coalition) was regularly reported in that period.