UPSC Prelims 2016 · Question 31 of 98

UPSC Prelims 2016 question on Indcs Climate Plans

The term ‘Intended Nationally Determined Contributions’ is sometimes seen in the news in the context of

  1. pledges made by the European countries to rehabilitate refugees from the war-affected Middle East
  2. plan of action outlined by the countries of the world to combat climate change
  3. capital contributed by the member countries in the establishment of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
  4. plan of action outlined by the countries of the world regarding Sustainable Development Goals
Show answer

Answer: B. plan of action outlined by the countries of the world to combat climate change

Verdict

The answer is the plan of action outlined by countries of the world to combat climate change. INDCs are national climate pledges.

Analysis

Intended Nationally Determined Contributions is the term used under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change for the emission reduction and climate action pledges that signatory countries were asked to publish ahead of the Paris conference of December 2015. India's submission emphasised sustainable lifestyles, cleaner economic development, reduced emissions intensity, a large non fossil power capacity target and an additional carbon sink. The refugee, infrastructure bank and development goal options attach the term to entirely different processes.

Source

The Hindu report on India setting climate goals.

How to crack it

Unpack the phrase word by word, since Nationally Determined signals that each country sets its own target rather than receiving one, and Contributions signals an offering to a collective effort. That combination fits a voluntary bottom up climate regime and nothing else on the list. Note the terminology shift worth carrying: pledges were Intended before Paris and became Nationally Determined Contributions once the Agreement took effect, and the dropped word is itself examinable.

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