UPSC Prelims 2026 Q21: LT-LEDS, BUR-4 and Net Zero 2070 — Explained

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.

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

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.

1 only
1 and 2
2 and 3
3 only

Answer: (b) 1 and 2

Statement-wise explanation

I: correct — India submitted its Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS) to the UNFCCC at COP27 on 14 November 2022. It restates the goal of net-zero emissions by 2070. It sets out seven transitions to get there: electricity systems, transport, urbanisation and buildings, industry, CO2 removal, forest cover, and finance. That makes it the main roadmap for the 2070 target.
II: correct — India submitted its Fourth Biennial Update Report (BUR-4) to the UNFCCC on 30 December 2024. It holds the national GHG inventory for 2020. Total emissions in 2020 were 2,959 million tonnes CO2e excluding LULUCF, which was 7.93% lower than in 2019. Net emissions including LULUCF were 2,437 MtCO2e.
III: incorrect — Climate-resilient development means following mitigation and adaptation pathways over decades, alongside development goals. It does not 'necessarily' depend on hitting emission targets quickly in the short term. India's own approach rejects that idea. Its LT-LEDS is built on equity, CBDR-RC and a gradual, development-consistent transition to 2070.
1: correct — Statement II gives measured inventory data from BUR-4: a 7.93% fall in 2020 and a 36% fall in the emission intensity of GDP between 2005 and 2020. UPSC treats this as real-world evidence that India's long-term low-emission path, described in Statement I, is moving forward. The support is weak in one respect. The 2020 fall coincided with the COVID-19 lockdown, so the stronger evidence is the long-run fall in intensity.
2: correct — Statement I implies a long-horizon, phased approach: a strategy running to 2070. Statement III says resilience necessarily depends on quick, short-term cuts. A short-term-only view conflicts with the gradual, long-term logic of LT-LEDS. So III contradicts the approach implicit in I.
3: incorrect — Two statements that contradict each other cannot together set up a shared premise. Statement III is short-termist. It weakens the long-term sustainability premise of Statement I rather than building it.

How to eliminate

First judge each statement on its own. 'Long-term' strategy and 'quick and short-term' targets point in opposite directions, and 'necessarily' is an absolute word. So Statement III is the odd one out. Once you see that III clashes with I, relationship 2 must be correct and relationship 3 must be wrong, because contradicting statements cannot jointly build a premise. That leaves only the option with 1 and 2 together. Note that you do not need to verify the exact 7.93% figure. If II were false, relationship 1 would fail and no option would contain only relationship 2. Facts to remember anyway: BUR-4 was submitted on 30 December 2024 and covers the 2020 inventory, with a 7.93% fall over 2019. LT-LEDS was submitted at COP27 in November 2022.

Know more

India's climate reporting and strategy documents under the UNFCCC

India files two kinds of climate documents. Strategy documents say where it is going. Transparency reports say where it stands.

Document	What it is	India's latest milestone
NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution)	5–10 year targets under the Paris Agreement	Updated NDC 2022: 45% cut in emissions intensity of GDP (2005 base) and 50% non-fossil power capacity by 2030
LT-LEDS	Long-term roadmap to net zero	Submitted at COP27, Nov 2022; net zero by 2070
BUR (Biennial Update Report)	GHG inventory plus mitigation update for developing countries	BUR-4, 30 Dec 2024; 2020 inventory
BTR (Biennial Transparency Report)	Replaces BURs under the Enhanced Transparency Framework from end-2024	BTR-1 submitted
National Communication	Fuller periodic report	Third National Communication (TNC)

Seven transitions in LT-LEDS:

Low-carbon electricity systems consistent with development
An integrated, efficient, inclusive low-carbon transport system
Adaptation in urban design, energy and material efficiency in buildings
Decoupling growth from emissions, and an efficient low-emission industrial system
CO2 removal and related engineering solutions
Enhanced forest and vegetation cover
Economic and financial aspects of low-carbon development

Key BUR-4 numbers (2020 inventory): 2,959 MtCO2e excluding LULUCF and 2,437 MtCO2e net including LULUCF. Emissions fell 7.93% from 2019. Emission intensity of GDP fell 36% between 2005 and 2020.

Why 'long-term' matters: India's position rests on equity, climate justice and CBDR-RC (Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities). Its per-capita emissions are low and it still has development needs. So it pursues a gradual, development-consistent transition rather than abrupt short-term cuts. This contrast is exactly what Statement III tests.

In the news

India submitted BUR-4 to the UNFCCC on 30 December 2024. It reported a 7.93% fall in 2020 emissions and was India's last BUR before the switch to Biennial Transparency Reports. Net zero 2070 stayed in the news through NITI Aayog's 2026 scenario reports, which made LT-LEDS and BUR-4 a natural pairing.

NCERT Concepts to Revise

Net zero: Statement I hinges on India's 2070 net-zero goal, the long-horizon target that frames whether short-term or gradual approaches fit together.
Nationally determined contributions: India's NDC commitments sit alongside LT-LEDS and BUR reporting, helping you judge how near-term targets relate to the 2070 long-term strategy.
Carbon intensity: BUR-4 reports a 36% fall in emission intensity of GDP from 2005 to 2020, key to weighing whether Statement II really evidences Statement I.
Panchamrit: India's five-point COP26 pledge, including net-zero by 2070, shows the phased, long-term framing that Statements I and III must be tested against.