National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)

• There are 8 national missions forming the core of the NAPCC

• National Solar Mission
• National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency
• National Mission on Sustainable Habitat
• National Water Mission
• National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem
• National Mission for a Green India
• National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture
• National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change
 National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency

Perform, Achieve and Trade Scheme (PAT)

• A market-based mechanism to enhance the cost-effectiveness in improving the Energy
Efficiency in Energy Intensive industries through certification of energy saving which can
be traded.
• Units which are able to achieve specific energy consumption (SEC) level that is lower
than their targets can receive energy savings certificates (ESCerts) for their excess
savings.
• The ESCerts could be traded on the Power Exchanges and bought by other units under
PAT who can use them to meet their compliance requirements.
 National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency

Market Transformation for Energy Efficiency (MTEE)

• Under MTEE, two programmes have been developed i.e. Bachat Lamp Yojana(BLY) and
Super-Efficient Equipment Programme (SEEP).

• BEE promotes the use of LED lights using the institutional structure of BLY Programme.
SEEP is a program designed to bring accelerated market transformation for super-
efficient appliances by providing financial stimulus innovatively at critical point/s of
intervention.
 National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency

Framework for Energy Efficient Economic Development (FEEED)

• This is for development of fiscal instruments to promote energy efficiency.
• Partial Risk Guarantee Fund for Energy Efficiency (PRGFEE) is risk sharing mechanism to
provide commercial banks with a partial coverage of risk involved in extending loans for
energy efficiency projects.
 Importance of Wetlands

• Wetlands are highly productive ecosystems that provide the world with nearly two-third
of fish harvest.
• The combination of shallow water, high levels of nutrients are ideal for the development
of organisms that form the base of the food web and feed many species of fish,
amphibians, shellfish and insects.
• Wetlands' microbes, plants and wildlife are part of global cycles for water, nitrogen and
sulphur. Wetlands store carbon within their plant communities and soil instead of
releasing it to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.
 Importance of Wetlands

• Wetlands function as natural barriers that trap and slowly release surface water, rain,
snowmelt, groundwater and flood waters. Wetland vegetation also slow the speed of
flood waters lowering flood heights and reduces soil erosion.
• Wetlands are great filters. They trap sediments and remove pollutants, which helps to
purify water.
• Millions of migratory birds flock to India, and wetlands are critical to this annual
phenomenon.
 Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017

• Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) notified the Wetland
(Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 in order to prohibit a range of activities in
wetlands.
• Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change announced the
establishment of a Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management (CWCM), as a
part of the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM)
 Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017

NWC (National Wetland Committee) will be established for:

• Observing how regulations are being applied.
• Advising the national government on the best policies and strategies to implement in
order to conserve and use wetlands wisely.
• Recommending that wetlands be designated as having international significance under
the Ramsar Convention.
• It specifies that a State Wetland Authority (SWA) be established in each state and union
territory, to be led by the state's environment minister.
 India Cooling Action Plan

• The India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) seeks to provide an integrated vision towards
cooling across sectors encompassing reduction of cooling demand, refrigerant
transition, enhancing energy efficiency and better technology options with a 20-year
time horizon.
• The ICAP provides short-, medium- and long-term recommendations across different
sectors while providing linkages with various programmes of the Government aimed at
providing sustainable cooling and thermal comfort for all.
 India Cooling Action Plan

• Cooling requirement is cross sectoral and an essential part for economic growth. The
cooling demand is set to rise in the future. This will result in increased use of
refrigerants and energy use for cooling.
• The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol is an international agreement to
gradually reduce the consumption and production of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). It is a
legally binding agreement designed to create rights and obligations in international law.
 India Cooling Action Plan

• The Montreal Protocol was originally created to preserve and restore the ozone layer;
participating countries agreed to phase out chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), gases that had
been causing ozone depletion.
• HFCs do not contain chlorine, so they do not cause ozone depletion, and therefore have
been replacing CFCs under the Protocol. However, HFCs are powerful greenhouse gases
that contribute to climate change, so this amendment adds HFCs to the list of chemicals
that countries promise to phase down.
• India Cooling Action Plan is under Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate Change.
 Project RE-HAB

• Project RE-HAB (Reducing Elephant-Human Attacks using Bees) was launched in

Karnataka on a pilot basis in March 2021.
• The main objective of the project is to repel elephant attacks on human habitations
using honey bees thereby reducing the loss of human and elephant lives.
• The pilot was done at four locations around village Chelur in Karnataka’s Kodagu district.
The region is a part of the Nagarhole National Park. The area is prone to human-wildlife
conflicts.
Project RE-HAB
 MISHTI Scheme

• The aim of the MISTHI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes)
Scheme is to protect and revive mangrove ecosystems on the Indian coast while
enhancing the socio-economic status of nearby communities.
• Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)
• Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC) - An initiative led by the United Arab Emirates
(UAE) and Indonesia, the Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC) includes India, Sri Lanka,
Australia, Japan, and Spain
 EIA

• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a tool used to identify the environmental,

social and economic impacts of a project prior to decision making. ( UNEP Definition )
• Environment Impact Assessment in India is statutorily backed by the Environment
Protection Act, 1986 which contains various provisions on EIA methodology and
process.
 EIA

• Provides a cost-effective method to eliminate or minimize the adverse impact of

developmental projects.
• Enables the decision makers to analyze the effect of developmental activities on the
environment well before the developmental project is implemented.
• Encourages the adaptation of mitigation strategies in the developmental plan.
• Makes sure that the developmental plan is environmentally sound and within the limits
of the capacity of assimilation and regeneration of the ecosystem
 EIA

• Category A projects require mandatory environmental clearance and thus they do not
undergo the screening process.
• Category B projects undergoes screening process and they are classified into two types.
• Category B1 projects (Mandatorily requires EIA).
• Category B2 projects (Do not require EIA).
• Thus, Category A projects and Category B, projects undergo the complete EIA process
whereas Category B2 projects are excluded from complete EIA process.
 UNEP

• Founded in 1972 following the landmark UN Conference on the Human Environment,

UNEP was conceived to monitor the state of the environment, inform policy making
with science and coordinate responses to the world’s environmental challenges.
• Since its creation, UNEP has worked closely with its 193 Member States and other
stakeholders to galvanize worldwide commitments and coordinated action to address
many of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. It also played a leading
role as the docking station for many multilateral environmental agreements.
 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment

• The 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm was the
first world conference to make the environment a major issue.
• The Stockholm Declaration, which contained 26 principles.
• One of the major results of the Stockholm conference was the creation of the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment

• Principle 1: Right to Protect Environment

• Principle 2: Management of Natural Resources
• Principle 3: Management of Renewable Resources
• Principle 4: Conservation of Wildlife
• Principle 5: Management of Non-Renewable Resources
• Principle 6: Pollution Control
• Principle 7: Prevention of Pollution of Seas
• Principle 8: Economic and Social Development
 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment

• Principle 9: Underdevelopment and Natural Disaster

• Principle 10: Stability of Prices of Primary Commodities
• Principle 11: Environmental Policies
• Principle 12: Environment Protection Education
• Principle 13: Rational Management of Resources
• Principle 14: Rational Planning
• Principle 15: Human Settlements
• Principle 16: Human Population
 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment

• Principle 17: Setting of Environmental Pollution Control Agencies at National Level

• Principle 18: Use of Science and Technology
• Principle 19: Education in Environmental Matters
• Principle 20: Further Scientific Research
• Principle 21: Rights and Responsibility of Sovereign Nation
• Principle 22: Development of International Law
• Principle 23: Implementation of Agenda by Every Country
• Principle 24: International Cooperation
• Principle 25: Coordinated and Dynamic Role
• Principle 26: Ban on Nuclear Weapons
 MARPOL

• International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 as modified
by the Protocol of 1978, or "MARPOL 73/78" (short for "marine pollution") is one of the
most important international marine environmental conventions.
• The treaty imposes strict rules on the shipping industry, helping to prevent spills and
pollution from routine operations. The treaty is administered by the International
Maritime Organization, which would become a key partner in UNEP efforts to prevent
marine pollution.
 CITES

• CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora) is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that
international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the
survival of the species (1973)
 CMS

• The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, also known
as the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) or the Bonn Convention, is an
international agreement that aims to conserve migratory species throughout their
ranges. (1979)
 Vienna Convention

• The Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer is a multilateral
environmental agreement signed in 1985 that provided frameworks for international
reductions in the production of chlorofluorocarbons due to their contribution to the
destruction of the ozone layer, resulting in an increased threat of skin cancer.
 Vienna Convention

• The Montreal Protocol under the Vienna Convention (the protocol) was agreed in 1987.
It facilitates global cooperation in reversing the rapid decline in atmospheric
concentrations of ozone, a gas that protects life on Earth from the sun’s harmful
radiation.
• Under the protocol countries agreed to phase out the production and consumption of
certain chemicals that deplete ozone. Phase out of these substances is required by
specific deadlines.

• The Vienna Convention and its Montreal Protocol are the first and only global
environmental treaties to achieve universal ratification, with 197 parties
 Vienna Convention

• The Montreal Protocol was originally created to preserve and restore the ozone layer;
participating countries agreed to phase out chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), gases that had
been causing ozone depletion.
• HFCs do not contain chlorine, so they do not cause ozone depletion, and therefore have
been replacing CFCs under the Protocol. However, HFCs are powerful greenhouse gases
that contribute to climate change, so Kigali Amendment adds HFCs to the list of
chemicals that countries promise to phase down. (2016)
 Vienna Convention

• Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
• Halons
• CCl4(Carbon tetrachloride)
• CH3CCl3 (Methyl chloroform)
• Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)
• Hydrobromofluorocarbons (HBFCs)
• Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
 IPCC

• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) - 1988

• The IPCC is launched by UNEP and the World Meteorological Organization.
• The IPCC provides a framework for governments, scientists and IPCC staff to work
together to deliver the world's most authoritative scientific assessments on climate
change.
• Headquarters- Geneva, Switzerland
IPCC
 Basel Convention

• The Basel Convention (1989) on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous

Wastes and Their Disposal, usually known as the Basel Convention, is an international
treaty that was designed to reduce the movements of hazardous waste between
nations, and specifically to prevent transfer of hazardous waste from developed to less
developed countries
 Convention for Biological Diversity

• The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD) is a United Nations

treaty that is responsible for the conservation of Biological Diversity around the world.
(1992).
• The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity is an
international agreement on biosafety as a supplement to the Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD). The Biosafety Protocol seeks to protect biological diversity from the
potential risks posed by genetically modified organisms resulting from modern
biotechnology. ( 2000)
 Convention for Biological Diversity

• The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing
of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (ABS) is a supplementary agreement to the UN
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (2010)
 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change

• Control of emission of GHGs

• Kyoto Protocol - 1997
• Paris Agreement – 2016
• Kyoto protocol covers six categories of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions: carbon dioxide
(CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons
(PFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
 UN Convention to Combat Desertification

• The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), adopted in 1994, is

the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development
to sustainable land management.
• The Convention addresses specifically the arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas,
known as the drylands, where some of the most vulnerable ecosystems and peoples can
be found.
 UN Convention to Combat Desertification

• The fourteenth session of the Conference of Parties (COP 14) to the United Nations
Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was held from 2 to 13 September 2019
in New Delhi, India.
• COP 16 – December 2024 – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
UN Convention to Combat Desertification
 UNEP

• 1972 – Stockholm Conference

• 1972 – Formation of UNEP
• 1973 – MARPOL - Prevention of Pollution from Ships
• 1973 - CITES – International Trade of Endangered Species
• 1979 - CMS – Bonn Convention – Migratory Species
• 1985 – Vienna Convention - Prevention of Ozone Depleting Substances
• 1988 – IPCC Formation
• 1989 - Basel Convention – Transboundary movement of hazardous wastes
 Rio Summit

• United Nations Conference on Environment & Development (UNCED) also known as the
'Earth Summit', was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 3-14 June 1992.
• The summit concluded that the concept of sustainable development was an attainable
goal for all the people of the world, regardless of whether they were at the local,
national, regional or international levels.
 Rio Summit

The Rio Summit 1992 is also called the Earth Summit. This summit led to the development
of the following documents:
• Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
• Agenda 21
• Forest Principles
 Rio Summit

Moreover, important legally binding agreements were opened for signature:

• Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD)
• Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
• At Rio it was agreed that an International Negotiating Committee for a third convention
the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification would be set up
 Rotterdam Convention

• Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous
Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade.
• 1998
 Stockholm Convention

• Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants is an international

environmental treaty, signed 2001 in Stockholm that aims to eliminate or restrict the
production and use of persistent organic pollutants.
• Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are organic compounds that are resistant to
degradation through chemical, biological, and photolytic processes.
• They are toxic chemicals that adversely affect human health and the environment
around the world.
• Most POPs are pesticides or insecticides, and some are also solvents, pharmaceuticals,
and industrial chemicals.
 BRS Convention

• Since 2013, the Secretariats of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions, three
international environmental agreements, are merged into a single now located in
Geneva, Switzerland.
 REDD
• United Nations Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest
Degradation (UN-REDD) in 2008.
• Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) is a mechanism
developed by Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC).
• “plus” referring to “the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and
enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries.
• It creates a financial value for the carbon stored in forests by offering incentives for
developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon
paths to sustainable development.
 REDD+
• REDD+ is a climate change mitigation solution developed by Parties to the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
• REDD+ goes beyond simply deforestation and forest degradation and includes the role
of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon
stocks.
• The framework is commonly referred to as the Warsaw Framework for REDD+ (WFR)
adopted at COP 19 in Warsaw, December 2013 and provides the complete
methodological and financing guidance for the implementation of REDD+ activities.
 REDD+
• Currently 11% of all carbon emissions stem from deforestation – more than emissions
from all means of transport combined.
• Halting deforestation and forest degradation can avoid emissions of more than 5
gigatons CO2e/year.
• During 2015–2020, the rate of deforestation was estimated at 10 million hectares per
year.
• Limiting climate change to well below 2C cannot be achieved without REDD+.
 Minamata Convention

• The Minamata Convention on Mercury is an important international treaty intended to

protect health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury and its
compounds. (2013)
• The convention is named after the Japanese city Minamata. This naming is of symbolic
importance as the city went through a devastating incident of mercury poisoning.
 Sustainable Development Goals

• The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member
States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the
planet, now and into the future.
• At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call
for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership.
• The Sustainable Development Goals were first proposed in 1972 by a global think tank
called the ‘Club of Rome’.
Sustainable Development Goals
 Sustainable Development Goals

• 2021 has marked the end of leaded petrol worldwide, after it has contaminated air,
dust, soil, drinking water and food crops for the better part of a century.
• Leaded petrol causes heart disease, stroke and cancer.
• It also affects the development of the human brain, especially harming children, with
studies suggesting it reduced 5-10 IQ points.
• Banning the use of leaded petrol has been estimated to prevent more than 1.2 million
premature deaths per year, increase IQ points among children
 Ramsar Convention

• Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty adopted in 1971 in the

Iranian city of Ramsar.
• Those wetlands which are of international importance are declared as Ramsar sites.
• The Convention’s mission is the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local
and national actions and international cooperation.
 Ramsar Convention

• The Montreux Record is a register of wetland sites on the List of Wetlands of

International Importance where changes in ecological character have occurred, are
occurring, or are likely to occur as a result of technological developments, pollution, or
other human interference. It is maintained as part of the Ramsar List.
 Ramsar Convention

• Sundarbans is the largest Ramsar Site in India.

• Chilika Lake (Orissa) and Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan) were recognized as the first
Ramsar Sites of India.
• 75 Ramsar Sites in India as of May 2023
 World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)

• The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is a international non-governmental

organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the
reduction of human impact on the environment.
 Green Climate Fund

• Created by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in

2010 the fund aims to support a paradigm shift in the global response to climate
change. It allocates its resources to low-emission and climate-resilient projects and
programmes in developing countries.
International Conventions
International Conventions