TOPIC FIVE: IDENTIFYING ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATIONS/CONVENTIONS

FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

Definition of terms

Environmental legislation

Environmental legislation is the set of laws and regulations that protect air quality, water,
wildlife, and environmental health.

Environmental law and legislation are central in protecting us humans as well as the different
plants and animals in the greater ecosystem that we exist in. Environmental law ensures that
individuals, governments and cooperates do not cause harm to the environment or its ecosystems.

Environmental conventions

Conventions that focus on various issues, for example climate change, stratospheric ozone
layer protection, air quality, chemicals and nature conservation. The conventions are tools for
promoting cooperation and the development of international environmental law and actions.

Important International Environmental Agreements

The table below gives the list of important environmental conventions of the world:

List of Environmental Conventions

Name Year of Establishment

Ramsar Convention 1971

Stockholm Convention 2001

CITES 1973

Convention on Biological Diversity 1992

Bonn Convention 1979

 Vienna Convention 1985

Montreal Protocol 1987

Kyoto Protocol 1997

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 1992

Rio Summit 1992

UNCCD 1994

Basel Convention 1989

Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety 2000

UN-REDD 2008

Nagoya Protocol 2010

COP24 2018

COP21 2016

Kigali Amendment 2016

Minamata Convention 2013

Rotterdam Convention 1998

COP25 2019

These International Environment conventions and protocols constitute an important part of

the UPSC Syllabus for both, prelims and mains examination. Candidates can get brief information
about each of them further below in this article.
Brief about Environmental Conventions
1. Ramsar Convention

• It is called the Convention on Wetlands

• It was adopted in the city of Iran, Ramsar in 1971.
• It came into force in 1975.
Read more about Ramsar Convention, and Ramsar Wetland Sites in India from the links below:

• Ramsar Convention, 1971

• List of Ramsar Sites in India
2. Stockholm Convention

• It is a convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

• It was adopted in 2001 in Geneva, Switzerland.
• It came into force in 2004.
Read more about the Stockholm Convention at the linked article.
3. CITES

• It is a convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

• It was adopted in 1963.
• It came into force in 1975.
Read more about CITES at the linked article.
4. Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

• It is a convention for the conservation of biological diversity.

• It was adopted in 1992
• It came into force in 1993.
Read more about the Convention on Biological Diversity at the linked article.
5. Bonn Convention

• It is a convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals.

• It was adopted in 1979.
• It came into force in 1983.
Read more about the Bonn Convention at the linked article.
6. Vienna Convention

• It is a convention for the Protection of Ozone Layer.

• It was adopted in 1985.
 • It came into force in 1988.
Read more about the Vienna Convention at the linked article.
7. Montreal Protocol

• It is an international environment protocol on substances that deplete the Ozone Layer.

• It was adopted in 1987.
• It came into force in 1989.
Read more about the Montreal Protocol at the linked article.
8. Kyoto Protocol

• It is an international protocol to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

• It was adopted in 1997.
• It came into force in 2005.
Read more about the Kyoto Protocol at the linked article.
9. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

• It is an international environmental treaty governing actions to combat climate change

through adaptation and mitigation efforts directed at control of emission of GreenHouse
Gases (GHGs) that cause global warming.
• It was adopted in 1992.
• It came into force in 1994.
Read more about the UNFCCC at the linked article.
10. Rio Summit

• It is a United Nations Conference on Environment and Development.

• It was held in 1992 at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Read more about Rio Summit at the linked article.
11. UNCCD

• It is a United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.

• It was adopted in 1994.
• It came into force in 1996.
Read more about UNCCD at the linked article.
12. Basel Convention

• It is a convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and

their Disposal.
• It was adopted in 1989.
 • It came into force in 1992.
Read more about the Basel Convention at the linked article.
13. Cartagena Protocol

• It is an international environmental protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological

Diversity.
• It was adopted in 2000.
• It came into force in 2003.
Read more about Cartagena Protocol at the linked article.
14. UN-REDD

• It is a United Nations Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest

Degradation.
• It was created in 2008.
Read more about the UN-REDD at the linked article.
15. Nagoya Protocol

• It is an international environment protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair

and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (ABS) to the Convention
on Biological Diversity (CBD).
• It was adopted in 2010.
• It came into force in 2014.
Read more about Nagoya Protocol at the linked article.
16. COP24

• It is the 24th meeting of the conference of parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change.
• It took place in 2018.
Read more about COP24 at the linked article.
17. COP21

• It is the 21st meeting of the conference of parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change.
• It took place in 2018.
Read more about COP21 at the linked article.
18. Kigali Agreement

• It is an amendment to the Montreal Protocol.

• It was adopted in 2016.
 • It came into force in 2019.
Read more about the Kigali Agreement at the linked article.
19. Minamata Convention

• It is an international environmental treaty intended to protect health and the environment

from the adverse effects of mercury.
• It was adopted in 2013.
• It came into force in 2017.
Read more about the Minamata Convention at the linked article.
20. Rotterdam Convention

• It is an international environmental convention on Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Procedure

for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade.
• It was adopted in 1998.
• It came into force in 2004.
Read more about the Rotterdam Convention at the linked article.
21. COP25

• It is the 25th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
• It took place in 2019.
Read more about COP25 at the linked article.

UPSC Previous Year Questions on Environmental Conventions & Protocols

Aspirants can see what kind of questions are asked in Prelims with reference to international
environmental conventions.
UPSC Prelims 2019 Question
# Consider the following statements:

1. Under Ramsar Convention, it is mandatory on the part of the Government of India to

protect and conserve all the wetlands in the territory of India.
2. The Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2010 were framed by the
Government of India based on the recommendations of the Ramsar Convention.
3. The Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2010 also encompass the drainage
area or catchment regions of the wetlands as determined by the authority.

Environmental concerns

Environmental issues are the harmful effects of human activities on the environment. These
include pollution, overpopulation, waste disposal, climate change, global warming, the greenhouse
effect, etc.
Various environment protection programs are being practised at the individual, organizational and
government levels with the aim of establishing a balance between man and the environment.
Some of the current environmental issues that require urgent attention are:

Climate Change
Climate change is a great concern in today’s scenario. This problem has surfaced in the last few
decades. Greenhouse gases are the major cause of climate change. Environmental changes have
several destructive impacts such as the melting of glaciers, change in seasons, epidemics, etc.

Global Warming
The burning of fossil fuels, emissions from automobiles and chlorofluorocarbons add to the
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This has led to an increase in the earth’s temperature causing
environmental changes. This increase in temperature across the globe is known as global warming.

Ozone Layer Depletion

The ozone layer is a layer of concentrated ozone gas. It protects us from the sun’s harmful
ultraviolet rays. This very important layer is being destroyed by CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons),
which are used in industries and everyday life (e.g. aerosol cans).
The chlorine in these compounds destroys the ozone layer. The hole in the ozone layer leaves
humans and wildlife exposed to harmful UV rays resulting in several skin diseases including
cancer.

Water Pollution
The introduction of harmful substances into rivers, oceans, lakes and ponds, which changes the
physical, chemical or biological condition of the water is called water pollution. The polluted water
lacks oxygen and therefore the organisms die.
Water is the main source of life and therefore it is our prime duty to prevent it from any kind of
pollution.

Air Pollution
Air pollution is the result of emissions from industries, automobiles, and the increasing use of
fossil fuels. The gaseous emissions have added to an increase in the temperature of the earth. Not
only this, but it had also increased the risk of diseases among individuals.

Solid Waste Management

Solid-waste management is defined as the discipline associated with the generation, storage,
collection, transfer and transport, processing, and disposal of solid waste in a manner that it does
not have a harmful effect on the environment.
Deforestation
Deforestation is the depletion of trees and forests at an alarming rate. The trees provide us with
oxygen, and several raw materials and also maintain the temperature of the earth. Due to the
depletion of trees for commercial purposes, there has been a drastic change in the earth’s climate.
Forests are an abode to a large number of wild animals and plants. Destruction of forests has led
to the elimination of a large number of plants and animal species affecting biodiversity.

Overpopulation
The earth’s population is increasing drastically. It is estimated to be more than seven billion. The
increasing population has led to a shortage of resources. If this continues, it will be very difficult
to sustain such a huge population. The other environmental issues including pollution, waste
management, deforestation, climate change and global warming are all associated with
overpopulation.
Industrial standards/environmental practices

A set of criteria within an industry relating to the standard functioning and carrying out of
operations in their respective fields of production. In other words, it is the generally accepted
requirements followed by the members of an industry. It provides an orderly and systematic
formulation, adoption, or application of standards used in a particular industry or sector of the
economy. Industry standards vary from one industry to another. Industry standards facilitate global
as well as domestic competitiveness. It is a crucial tool for developing and meeting industry goals.
For example, in the automotive industry, tire sizes and durability must fall within a standardized
range. Standardization serves as a quality check for any industry.

The main purpose for industry standards is to make different products compatible with each
other and to ensure customers that they can safely mix and match products from different
brands. They drive industry innovation, cost reductions and enable a variety of cost-effective,
simple-to-use, holistic solutions.

Standards help manufacturers reduce costs, anticipate technical requirements, and increase
productive and innovative efficiency. The European Commission recognises the positive effects
of standards in areas such as trade, the creation of Single Market for products and services, and
innovation.

What are environmental practices?

Good Environmental Practices are defined as those actions that seek to reduce the negative
environmental impact caused by activities and processes through changes and improvements
in the organisation and development of actions.

Additionally, environmental protections save lives by reducing world hunger, global warming,
natural disasters, polluted water and soil, and pesticides. In the process, efforts can reduce
animal extinction while also protecting animal welfare. Their lives depend on the ecosystems in
which they live.

Features of environmental strategy

Environmental strategies can be defined as a set of initiatives that can reduce the impact of
operations on the natural environment through products, processes and corporate policies such as
reducing energy consumption and waste, using green sustainable resources and environmental
management system implementation.

Revision questions

List examples of industrial standards

List some environmental strategies that can help conserve the environment

Explain the following environmental conventions:

• Kyoto protocol
• Montreal protocol
• Basel convention
• Ramsar convention
• Bonn convention