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Environmental Conventions and Summits: asked and not asked.
UPSC has asked 22 of these 29. 15 came more than once. 7 have not come yet. Lock the repeated ones first, then read the rest.
First, the concept
The modern story starts at Stockholm (1972), which created UNEP. The Rio Earth Summit (1992) then gave three conventions: on climate (UNFCCC), on biodiversity (CBD) and, soon after, on desertification (UNCCD).
Each big convention has 'protocols' that add rules: Kyoto and Paris under the UNFCCC; Cartagena and Nagoya under the CBD; Kigali under the Montreal Protocol.
UPPCS asks a treaty with its year, its city, or its subject.
🔁 Asked again and again (15)
Tap a year to open that solved question.
Climate and ozone
- UNFCCC · 1992, Rio; the climate change convention; its yearly meeting is the COP 7 times:202220182018201620142010
- Kyoto Protocol · 1997; binding cuts for rich countries; carbon credits and CDM 7 times:202020152011200920092008
- Montreal Protocol · 1987; phases out CFCs and other ozone-depleting substances 3 times:201520091992
- Paris Agreement · 2015 (COP21); keep warming well below 2°C, try for 1.5°C; national pledges (NDCs) 2 times:20252016
- COP26, Glasgow · 2021; India announced net zero by 2070 (Panchamrit) 2 times:20262024
- COP28 Dubai and COP29 Baku · 2023: first global stocktake; 2024: new climate finance goal 2 times:20252022
Nature and biodiversity
- Ramsar Convention · 1971, Iran; wetlands 7 times:202620212021201920142012
- Convention on Biological Diversity · 1992, Rio; India's Biological Diversity Act 2002 follows it 3 times:201420051993
- Cartagena Protocol · 2000; safe movement of genetically modified organisms 3 times:202020092005
- Nagoya Protocol · 2010; access and benefit sharing of genetic resources 3 times:202320202015
- Kunming-Montreal Framework · 2022; '30 by 30': protect 30 percent of land and sea by 2030 3 times:202320232007
- UNCCD · 1994; desertification; 17 June is Desertification Day 2 times:20162014
Landmark meetings and bodies
✅ Asked once (7)
Climate and ozone
- Vienna Convention · 1985; protection of the ozone layer
Nature and biodiversity
Chemicals and waste
- Basel Convention · 1989; movement of hazardous waste across borders 2022
❌ Not asked by UPSC yet (7)
Items marked 'asked in UPPCS' have already come in the UP state exam, so examiners do use them.
Climate and ozone
- Loss and Damage Fund · Agreed at COP27, Sharm el-Sheikh (2022) asked in UPPCS
- Kigali Amendment · 2016; phases down HFCs under the Montreal Protocol
Chemicals and waste
- Rotterdam Convention · 1998; prior informed consent for hazardous chemicals in trade asked in UPPCS
- Stockholm Convention · 2001; persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as DDT asked in UPPCS
- Minamata Convention · 2013; mercury
Landmark meetings and bodies
- Brundtland Report · 1987, 'Our Common Future'; defined sustainable development asked in UPPCS
- Mission LiFE · India's 'Lifestyle for Environment' idea (2021–22)
⚠️ Montreal Protocol is about the ozone layer, Kyoto about greenhouse gases. Kigali amended the Montreal Protocol, not the Kyoto Protocol. Ramsar is in Iran, Rio is in Brazil.
'Asked' is checked against the solved UPSC questions on this site. 'Not asked yet' does not mean it will surely come.