📌 Chapter Snapshot
1987
Montreal Protocol
1992
Rio Earth Summit / UNFCCC Birth
7
National Missions Covered
CoP-29
Latest (Baku, 2024)
- Climate Change refers to historical changes in the pattern of weather conditions, driven by both natural and man-made causes.
- This chapter covers causes & mitigation, the Greenhouse Effect, Global Warming, Ozone Layer depletion, India's national missions, and the complete history of global climate conferences from Stockholm (1972) to Baku (2024).
⚡ QUICK RECALL
Stockholm Conference (1972) → led to UNEP | Rio Summit (1992) → birth of UNFCCC | Kyoto Protocol (1997) → first binding emission targets | Paris Agreement (2015) → 2°C target | Glasgow (2021) → tightened to 1.5°C.
🌡 Climate Change — Causes
| Natural Causes | Man-made Causes |
|---|---|
| Solar flares, volcanic eruptions, changes in gaseous composition of the atmosphere | Industrialization, deforestation, incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, urbanization, current agricultural practices, etc. |
Measures to Mitigate Climate Change Effects
- Carbon Tax
- Carbon Separation
- Carbon Sink
- Carbon Label
- Promote Earth Hour
- Carbon Offset
- Carbon Credit, etc.
🏠 Greenhouse Effect
- A natural phenomenon — warming of the lower atmosphere due to concentration of CO₂ and other gases.
| Greenhouse Gas | Notes |
|---|---|
| Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) | Major greenhouse gas |
| Ozone (O₃) | — |
| Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) | — |
| Water Vapour | — |
| Nitrous Oxide (N₂O) | — |
| Carbon Monoxide (CO) | — |
| Sulphur Dioxide (SO₂) | — |
| Methane (CH₄) | From paddy fields, marshy areas |
🔥 Global Warming
- Continuous rise in Earth's temperature.
- Impacts: melting of glaciers, rise in sea level, impact on biodiversity, impact on human health, impact on climate, impact on vegetation, etc.
- Increase in global temperature → decrease in the rate of photosynthesis.
⚠ EXAM TRAP
Greenhouse Effect is a natural, necessary phenomenon (keeps Earth warm enough for life) — Global Warming is the harmful excess of this effect caused by rising GHG concentrations. Don't treat them as synonyms.
🛡 Ozone Layer
LocationUp to 50 km above Earth's surface (stratosphere)
Maximum concentrationBetween 15–35 km altitude
FunctionProtects living beings from ultraviolet rays
Measured inDobson Units
Impacts of Ozone Depletion
- Human health issues (e.g. skin cancer)
- Food production affected
- Aquatic ecosystem disruption
Causes of Ozone Depletion
- Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
- Halons
- Nitrous Oxide
- Trichloromethane
- Halogens
Ozone hole discoveredAntarctica — 1985
Ozone Layer ProtectionMontreal Protocol (1987)
Ozone Protection Day16th September
⚠ EXAM TRAP
Ozone hole was discovered in Antarctica in 1985, but the Montreal Protocol to protect the ozone layer was signed 2 years later, in 1987. Don't confuse discovery year with protocol year.
🇮🇳 Missions / Schemes Related to Climate Change
| Mission | Year |
|---|---|
| National Mission on Enhanced Energy Efficiency | 2008 |
| National Solar Mission | 2010 |
| National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change | 2010 |
| National Sustainable Agriculture Mission | 2010 |
| National Mission on Sustainable Habitat | 2010 |
| National Water Mission | 2011 |
| National Green India Mission | 2014 |
| National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) | 2014 |
⚡ QUICK RECALL
Four of these eight missions were all launched in the same year — 2010 (Solar, Strategic Knowledge, Sustainable Agriculture, Sustainable Habitat).
🌐 Climate Change Related Conferences — Recent CoP Series
| Conference | Year | Key Points |
|---|---|---|
| Katowice Conference (CoP-24) | 2018 | Implementation of Paris Climate Agreement by 2020 |
| Madrid Conference (CoP-25) | 2019 | Discussion on reducing greenhouse gas emissions |
| Glasgow Conference (CoP-26) | 2021 | Limit global warming to not more than 1.5°C |
| Sharm El-Sheikh Conference (CoP-27) | 2022 | Reduce greenhouse gases |
| Abu Dhabi Conference (CoP-28) | 2023 | Maintain annual funding of $100 billion |
| Baku Conference (CoP-29) | 2024 | Carbon market agreement, reduce methane, etc. |
📜 Major International Conferences on Climate Change — Complete List
| Conference | Year | Key Points |
|---|---|---|
| Stockholm Conference on Human Environment | 1972 | Led to establishment of UNEP |
| Vienna Conference | 1985 | Ozone Layer Protection |
| Montreal Conference | 1987 | Declaration of Ozone Protection Day (16 September) |
| Rio Conference (Earth Summit – I) | 1992 | Approved Agenda-21; birth of UNFCCC |
| Kyoto Conference (Kyoto Protocol) | 1997 | Reduce GHG emissions by 5% (from 1990 levels) |
| Johannesburg Conference (Rio+10) | 2002 | Emphasis on sustainable development; World Solidarity Fund established |
| Montreal Conference | 2005 | Developed countries to reduce GHG emissions |
| Bali Conference | 2007 | Bring GHG emissions back to year 2000 levels by 2050 |
| Copenhagen Conference | 2009 | Concept of a low-carbon economy |
| Cancun Conference | 2010 | Establishment of the Green Climate Fund |
| Durban Conference (CoP-17) | 2011 | Strengthening the Green Climate Fund concept |
| Doha Conference (CoP-18) | 2012 | Reduce pollution under Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) |
| Warsaw Conference (CoP-19) | 2013 | Agreement to create the Green Climate Fund |
| Lima Conference (CoP-20) | 2014 | Plan to reduce GHG emissions by 2070 |
| Paris Conference (CoP-21) | 2015 | Keep global warming below 2°C by 2100 |
| Marrakesh Conference (CoP-22) | 2016 | Focus on clean water, sustainable water management |
| Bonn Conference (CoP-23) | 2017 | Financial assistance, mitigation action, etc. |
| Katowice Conference (CoP-24) | 2018 | Implementation of Paris Climate Agreement in 2020 |
| Madrid Conference (CoP-25) | 2019 | Deliberation on reducing GHG emissions |
| Glasgow Conference (CoP-26) | 2021 | Ensure global warming does not increase by more than 1.5°C |
| Sharm El-Sheikh Conference (CoP-27) | 2022 | Reduction in greenhouse gases |
| Abu Dhabi Conference (CoP-28) | 2023 | Maintaining conditions of annual funding of $100 billion |
| Baku Conference (CoP-29) | 2024 | Carbon market agreement, reducing methane, etc. |
⚠ EXAM TRAP
There were TWO separate "Montreal Conferences" — 1987 (Montreal Protocol, ozone) and 2005 (developed countries' GHG reduction) — don't merge these into one event.
⚡ QUICK RECALL
CoP numbering starts clearly from Durban (CoP-17, 2011) onward in most references — conferences before that (Rio, Kyoto, Bali, Copenhagen, Cancun) are usually referred to by city name rather than CoP number.
📋 Master Quick-Revision Table
| Topic | Key Fact |
|---|---|
| Climate Change | Historical changes in the pattern of weather conditions |
| Greenhouse Effect | Natural phenomenon | Warming of lower atmosphere by CO₂ concentration |
| Methane source | Paddy fields, marshy areas |
| Global warming impact | Glacier melting, sea level rise, biodiversity impact, health impact |
| Global Temp ↑ | Decrease in rate of photosynthesis |
| Ozone layer location | Stratosphere | Up to 50 km | Max: 15–35 km altitude |
| Ozone measured in | Dobson Units |
| Ozone hole discovered | Antarctica — 1985 |
| Montreal Protocol | 1987 | Ozone layer protection |
| Ozone Protection Day | 16th September |
| Main cause of ozone depletion | Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) |
| Stockholm Conference | 1972 | Led to establishment of UNEP |
| Rio Conference (Earth Summit I) | 1992 | Agenda-21 | Birth of UNFCCC |
| Kyoto Protocol | 1997 | Reduce GHG by 5% from 1990 levels |
| Cancun Conference | 2010 | Green Climate Fund established |
| Paris Conference (CoP-21) | 2015 | Keep global warming below 2°C by 2100 |
| Glasgow (CoP-26) | 2021 | Limit warming to 1.5°C |
| Baku (CoP-29) | 2024 | Carbon market agreement, reduce methane |
| National Solar Mission | 2010 |
| National Water Mission | 2011 |
| NMSHE | 2014 | Himalayan Ecosystem |