Environment

Choose the Correct Answer

Correct Answer : Option a

Explanation
The Paris Agreement is an international treaty adopted in 2015 at COP21 in Paris under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It aims to combat climate change and accelerate efforts to keep global temperature rise well below 2°C, while striving to limit it to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The agreement is legally binding but allows countries to set their own Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which must be updated every five years.
Key Provisions of the Paris Agreement:
● Temperature Goal: Keep global temperature rise well below 2°C, aiming for 1.5°C.
● Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs): Each country sets its own emission reduction targets and updates them every five years.
● Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF): Ensures countries report their climate actions and progress.
● Global Stocktake: Conducted every five years to assess global progress.
● Climate Finance: Developed countries pledge to provide $100 billion per year to assist developing nations.
● Carbon Market Mechanism: Allows carbon trading and cooperation among countries for emission reductions.
● Adaptation & Resilience: Strengthens efforts to support climate adaptation and disaster preparedness.

Statement 1 is correct: The Paris Agreement targets a temperature rise limit "well below 2°C", with a strong emphasis on efforts to limit it to 1.5°C.

Statement 2 is correct: The Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) was introduced to ensure countries report, measure, and track their climate actions in a standardized manner.

Statement 3 is not correct: The agreement does not legally bind countries to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Instead, it encourages nations to set their own net-zero targets. Some countries, such as the EU and the US, have pledged to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, but this is not a universal legal obligation under the agreement.