Passage

Passage - 4 Climate change is a complex policy issue with major implications in terms of finance. All actions to address climate change ultimately involve costs. Funding is vital for countries like India to design and implement adaptation and mitigation plans and projects. Lack of funding is a large impediment to implementing adaptation plans. The scale and magnitude of the financial support required by developing countries to enhance their domestic mitigation and adaptation actions are a matter of intense debate in the multilateral negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Convention squarely puts the responsibility for provision of financial support on the developed countries, taking into account their contribution to the stock of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. Given the magnitude of the task and the funds required, domestic finances are likely to fall short of the current and projected needs of the developing countries. Global funding through the multilateral mechanism of the Convention will enhance their domestic capacity to finance the mitigation efforts.

According to the passage, which of the following is/are a matter of intense debate in the multilateral negotiations under UNFCCC regarding the role of developing countries in climate change ? 1. The scale and size of required financial support. 2. The crop loss due to climate change in the developing countries. 3. To enhance the mitigation and adaptation actions in the developing countries. Select the correct answer using the code given below :

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only ✓ UPSC's answer
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Why the answer is (c)

• The passage explicitly states that 'The scale and magnitude of the financial support required by developing countries' is a matter of intense debate, which corresponds to statement 1.

• It further specifies that this financial support is required 'to enhance their domestic mitigation and adaptation actions', confirming that enhancing these actions is part of the debate, corresponding to statement 3.

• The passage does not mention 'crop loss' as a specific point of debate in the multilateral negotiations; it only discusses financial support for general adaptation and mitigation plans.

• Therefore, statements 1 and 3 are correct, while statement 2 is not supported by the text.

• This leads to the conclusion that option (c) is the correct answer.

Why the other options are wrong

(a) 1 only: Option (a) is incorrect because statement 3 regarding the enhancement of mitigation and adaptation actions is also explicitly mentioned in the passage as part of the debate.
(b) 2 and 3 only: Option (b) is incorrect because statement 2 regarding crop loss is not mentioned in the passage, and statement 1 is actually correct.
(d) 1, 2 and 3: Option (d) is incorrect because statement 2 regarding crop loss is not mentioned in the passage as a matter of debate.

Asked in the CSAT Paper II of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2015, held on 23 August 2015. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.