🌱 Brundtland Commission: The Conceptual Foundation (1983–1987) In 1983, the United Nations constituted the World Commission on Environment and Development, popularly known as the Brundtland Commission. Why was it formed? By the early 1980s, the world realised: The Commission resolved this conflict by giving a simple yet powerful definition: Sustainable development is development that meets…
The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), popularly known as the Earth Summit, was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992. Why was Rio Summit necessary? Between 1972 and 1992: UNCED addressed this tension by formally linking environment + development. 📌 This is the birth point of the concept of Sustainable Development…
🗂️ Background The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the nodal environmental agency of the United Nations. What does UNEP actually do? Think of UNEP as the central coordinator of all environmental work within the UN system. Its core functions are: 👉 In simple words: If environment is discussed anywhere in the UN system, UNEP…
The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, commonly known as the Stockholm Conference, was held in 1972 at Stockholm, Sweden. Why was this conference historic? Until the early 1970s, environment was not treated as a global political issue. Environmental degradation was seen as a local or national concern. The Stockholm Conference changed this mindset…
What Do We Mean by Climate Change Mitigation? First, let us settle the core idea. Climate change mitigation refers to all efforts aimed at: so that global temperatures do not rise to dangerous levels. 👉 In short: Mitigation is about controlling the cause of climate change, not merely managing its effects. 1. Clean Coal Technology:…
What are IPCC Special Reports? The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change prepares Special Reports to deeply analyse specific climate-related themes, such as: 📌 Key difference: Three Special Reports decided in 2016 (Very Important for UPSC) In 2016, IPCC decided to prepare three Special Reports, all of which later became highly exam-relevant: Let us understand them…
Background The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the United Nations’ apex scientific body for assessing climate change. 📌 Important clarity for beginners:👉 The IPCC does NOT do experiments or original research.👉 Instead, it assesses, evaluates, and synthesizes existing global scientific research on climate change. Think of IPCC as: 🧠 The world’s most authoritative…
Overview Global warming is no longer a distant or abstract phenomenon confined to scientific reports; it has emerged as a multi-dimensional reality reshaping Earth’s physical systems, ecosystems, and human societies simultaneously. Rising global mean temperatures—driven primarily by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions—are altering the fundamental energy balance of the planet, triggering a cascade of interconnected impacts…
Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) To compare how countries are responding to climate change, an independent ranking system called the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) is used. What is CCPI? Institutions Behind CCPI How Does CCPI Measure Performance? CCPI evaluates countries using 14 indicators, grouped into 4 categories: Category Weight GHG emissions 40% Renewable energy…
Climate sensitivity tells us how strongly Earth’s temperature responds to carbon dioxide. Formal Definition Climate sensitivity is defined as the increase in global average temperature that occurs when the concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere doubles compared to pre-industrial levels. Why is this important? In other words, climate sensitivity links science directly to climate policy….
