UPSC CSE Prelims
Carbon Footprint and Carbon Credit Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
Practice solved questions for Carbon Footprint and Carbon Credit with detailed step-by-step solutions, key insights, and trend analysis for UPSC CSE PRELIMS.
Solved Previous Year Questions
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One of the following regions has the world's largest tropical peatland, which holds about three years worth of global carbon emissions from fossil fuels; and the possible destruction of which can exert detrimental effect on the global climate. Which one of the following denotes that region?
Detailed Explanation:
Answer: Option 2 — Congo Basin
The Congo Basin contains the world's largest tropical peatland complex, known as the Cuvette Centrale, which spans approximately 145,000 square kilometres across the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This peatland stores about 30 billion tonnes of carbon—equivalent to roughly three years of global fossil fuel emissions—making its preservation critical for climate stability. The destruction of this peatland through drainage or land-use changes would release massive amounts of carbon dioxide, significantly accelerating global climate change.
📝 Short Notes: Major Tropical Peatlands
| Peatland Region | Location | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Cuvette Centrale (Congo Basin) | Republic of Congo & DRC | World's largest tropical peatland; stores ~30 billion tonnes of carbon (3 years of global fossil fuel emissions) |
| Amazon Basin Peatlands | Peru, Brazil | Significant carbon storage, but smaller than Congo Basin peatlands |
| Southeast Asian Peatlands | Indonesia, Malaysia | Major carbon stores; heavily degraded due to palm oil plantations and fires |
| Brazzaville Declaration (2018) | Congo, DRC, Indonesia | International agreement to protect tropical peatlands and prevent carbon release |
- Peatlands are wetland ecosystems where waterlogged conditions prevent organic matter from fully decomposing, leading to carbon accumulation over thousands of years
- Tropical peatlands store carbon both in vegetation and in deep peat soils (can be several meters deep)
- Drainage and conversion of peatlands for agriculture releases stored carbon as CO₂ and N₂O
- Protection of peatlands is crucial for climate change mitigation strategies
Consider the following activities :
- Spreading finely ground basalt rock on farmlands extensively
- Increasing the alkalinity of oceans by adding lime
- Capturing carbon dioxide released by various industries and pumping it into abandoned subterranean mines in the form of carbonated waters
How many of the above activities are often considered and discussed for carbon capture and sequestration?
Detailed Explanation:
Answer: Option 3 — All three
All three activities mentioned are recognized methods for carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) that are actively discussed in climate mitigation strategies.
✅ Activity 1 – Correct: Spreading finely ground basalt rock on farmlands (enhanced weathering) captures atmospheric CO₂ through chemical weathering reactions that form stable carbonates, effectively sequestering carbon in the soil.
✅ Activity 2 – Correct: Increasing ocean alkalinity by adding lime enhances the ocean's natural capacity to absorb and store atmospheric CO₂ by shifting the carbonate equilibrium, making oceans a more effective carbon sink.
✅ Activity 3 – Correct: Capturing industrial CO₂ emissions and storing them as carbonated water in abandoned subterranean mines is a direct carbon capture and storage (CCS) technique that prevents greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere.
📝 Short Notes: Carbon Capture and Sequestration Methods
- Enhanced Weathering: Accelerates natural rock weathering by spreading silicate minerals (like basalt) on land; reacts with CO₂ to form stable carbonates that lock carbon for thousands of years.
- Ocean Alkalinization: Adding alkaline substances (lime, olivine) to oceans increases pH and carbonate concentration, enhancing CO₂ absorption capacity and counteracting ocean acidification.
- Geological Sequestration: Industrial CO₂ is captured at source, compressed, and injected into deep geological formations (depleted oil/gas fields, saline aquifers, mines) where it mineralizes or remains trapped.
- Other CCS Methods: Afforestation, soil carbon sequestration, biochar application, direct air capture (DAC), and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS).
- Global Significance: CCS technologies are essential for achieving net-zero emissions targets and limiting global warming to 1.5-2°C as outlined in the Paris Agreement.
Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: Carbon markets are likely to be one of the most widespread tools in the fight against climate change.
Statement-II: Carbon markets transfer resources from the private sector to the State.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Detailed Explanation:
Answer: Option 2 — Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
Carbon markets are indeed widely recognized as crucial market-based mechanisms under the Paris Agreement (Article 6) for achieving emission reduction targets cost-effectively. Carbon markets do facilitate resource transfers from private sector to the State, particularly through auction-based cap-and-trade systems where governments sell emission permits. However, the widespread adoption of carbon markets stems from their economic efficiency and flexibility in reducing emissions, not primarily from their revenue generation function for governments.
✅ Statement-I – Correct: Carbon markets (cap-and-trade systems, voluntary carbon credits) are recognized globally as key tools for climate mitigation, allowing cost-effective emission reductions through price signals.
✅ Statement-II – Correct: In many carbon market schemes, particularly cap-and-trade systems with auctioned permits, private entities pay the government for emission allowances, transferring resources to the State.
However, Statement-II does not explain Statement-I: The prominence of carbon markets arises from their economic efficiency in achieving climate goals, not from their revenue-transfer function.
📝 Short Notes: Carbon Markets
- Carbon Markets: Market-based mechanisms that put a price on carbon emissions to incentivize emission reductions through economic instruments.
- Cap-and-Trade Systems: Government sets an emission cap; permits are allocated/auctioned; entities can trade permits, creating market price for emissions.
- Carbon Offset Markets: Voluntary or compliance-based systems where emission reductions from one activity offset emissions elsewhere through tradable credits.
- Paris Agreement Article 6: Establishes frameworks for international cooperation through market and non-market mechanisms to achieve Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
- Resource Transfer Mechanism: When governments auction emission permits, private emitters pay for allowances, generating public revenue while creating emission reduction incentives.
- Key Advantage: Achieves emission targets at lowest economic cost by allowing flexibility—entities that can reduce emissions cheaply do so and sell permits to those facing higher reduction costs.
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The ‘Common Carbon Metric’, supported by UNEP, has been developed for
Detailed Explanation:
Answer: Option 1 — assessing the carbon footprint of building operations around the world.
The Common Carbon Metric (CCM) is a protocol developed by UNEP's Sustainable Buildings & Climate Initiative (UNEP-SBCI) specifically for measuring energy use and reporting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from building operations. It provides a universal, standardized method to measure a building's carbon footprint, enabling consistent assessment and comparison of emissions from buildings worldwide, thereby supporting global efforts toward energy efficiency and emissions reductions in the built environment.
📝 Short Notes: Common Carbon Metric (CCM)
- Developed by: United Nations Environment Programme's Sustainable Buildings & Climate Initiative (UNEP-SBCI)
- Purpose: Standardized protocol for measuring energy consumption and GHG emissions from building operations globally
- Key Feature: Provides a universal methodology allowing consistent assessment and comparison of building carbon footprints across different countries and regions
- Focus Area: Building sector operations (not construction, but operational energy use)
- Objective: Support emissions reductions through accurate measurement of energy efficiency in buildings
- Scope: Enables benchmarking and performance tracking of buildings worldwide using a common measurement framework
Related Topics in Environment & Ecology
Mitigation and Adaptation
Global Climate Initiatives
Greenhouse Gases
Greenhouse Effect
Global Warming
Climate Change Impacts
Clean Energy
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