"India Launches Net Zero Portal and NAPCC Dashboard on World Ozone Day"
Montreal Protocol
1987 treaty binding countries to phase out ozone-depleting substances; only UN treaty with universal ratification.
NAPCC
National Action Plan on Climate Change (2008); India's eight-mission framework for sectoral climate action.
The ozone layer, located in the stratosphere roughly 15–35 km above Earth's surface, absorbs most of the Sun's harmful ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation. Without it, UV-B exposure would sharply raise rates of skin cancer, cataracts, and immune suppression in humans. It would also damage marine phytoplankton and terrestrial ecosystems. Scientists established in the early 1970s that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), used in refrigerants, aerosol propellants, and foam-blowing agents, release chlorine atoms in the stratosphere. Each chlorine atom can destroy thousands of ozone molecules in a catalytic chain reaction. The discovery of the Antarctic ozone hole in the mid-1980s provided undeniable empirical evidence that depletion was already occurring at a dramatic scale.
The international response was unusually swift. The Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer (1985) established a framework for cooperation and research but did not itself mandate specific reductions. Two years later, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (1987) converted that framework into binding, time-bound phase-out schedules for ozone-depleting substances (ODS). It is widely regarded as the most successful multilateral environmental agreement in history. It is the only UN treaty to achieve universal ratification, with all 198 UN member states as parties. This distinguishes it sharply from the Kyoto Protocol, which the United States never ratified, and from the Nagoya Protocol on biodiversity's access and benefit sharing, which has a narrower membership. The Protocol's binding commitments, clear scientific consensus, available economic alternatives, and financial support through the Multilateral Fund are the four pillars most analysts cite for its success.
India's formal framework for addressing climate change at the national level is the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), launched in 2008. It operates through eight National Missions, each targeting a specific sector: solar energy, enhanced energy efficiency, sustainable habitat, water conservation, sustaining the Himalayan ecosystem, a Green India, sustainable agriculture, and strategic knowledge for climate change. These missions are implemented by different central ministries, which creates a coordination challenge across departments. India is also a signatory to the Paris Agreement (2015) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), under which countries submit Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) as voluntary pledges to reduce emissions and adapt to climate impacts.
The Montreal Protocol works through differentiated phase-out schedules. Developed countries were required to phase out ODS earlier than developing countries, which received a grace period and financial support through the Multilateral Fund. This principle of common but differentiated responsibilities made the treaty politically viable. India, as a developing country party, has progressively phased out several ODS categories under these schedules.
The concept of Net Zero refers to a state where greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions released into the atmosphere are balanced by an equivalent amount removed or offset. Globally, many countries and corporations have announced Net Zero targets. …
Which one of the following is associated with the issue of control and phasing out of the use of ozone-depleting substances?
Statement I: At the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), India refrained from signing the 'Declaration on Climate and Health'.
Statement II: The COP28 Declaration on Climate and Health is a binding declaration; and if signed, it becomes mandatory to decarbonize health sector.
Statement III: If India's health sector is decarbonized, the resilience of its health-care system may be compromised.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Which of the following best describes/describe the aim of 'Green India Mission' of the Government of India?
1.Incorporating environmental benefits and costs into the Union and State Budgets thereby implementing the 'green accounting'
2.Launching the second green revolution to enhance agricultural output so as to ensure food security to one and all in the future
3.Restoring and enhancing forest cover and responding to climate change by a combination of adaptation and mitigation measures
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Which one of the following is associated with the issue of control and phasing out of the use of ozone-depleting substances?
Consider the following statements regarding the Montreal Protocol:
1.It is the only United Nations treaty to have achieved universal ratification by all member states.
2.The Kigali Amendment (2016) extended its scope to phase down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are ozone-depleting substances.
3.India, as an Article 5 party, received a grace period under the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.
4.The Multilateral Fund finances technology transfer and capacity building for developing countries to meet their phase-out obligations.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Consider the following pairs:
Ozone-Depleting Substance — Current Phase-out Status in India
1.Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) — Already phased out
2.Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) — Currently being phased out
3.Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) — Already phased out
4.Halons — Already phased out
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
Consider the following statements about the 'Green India Mission':
1.It is one of the eight national missions under India's National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
2.It aims to incorporate environmental benefits and costs into Union and State Budgets through green accounting.
3.It focuses on restoring and enhancing forest cover and responding to climate change through adaptation and mitigation.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to the Montreal Protocol, consider the following statements:
1.The Vienna Convention (1985) preceded the Montreal Protocol and established binding phase-out schedules for ozone-depleting substances.
2.India has been a party to the Montreal Protocol since 1992.
3.The Protocol's Multilateral Fund supports developing countries through technology transfer and capacity building.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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