SSC
Which was the first international agreement to phase out the production of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)?
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Answer: Option D — Montreal Protocol
Detailed Solution
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production and use of ozone-depleting substances (ODS). It was adopted on 16 September 1987 and came into force on 1 January 1989. The date 16 September is observed every year as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer (World Ozone Day).
The ozone layer, found in the stratosphere about 15-35 kilometres above the Earth, absorbs most of the Sun's harmful ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation, which can cause skin cancer, cataracts and damage to crops and marine life. In 1985, British scientists discovered the "ozone hole", a severe seasonal thinning of the ozone layer over Antarctica. The main cause was found to be chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), used in refrigerators, air conditioners, aerosol sprays and foam. When CFCs reach the stratosphere, UV light breaks them down and releases chlorine atoms, and one chlorine atom can destroy thousands of ozone molecules.
The Montreal Protocol was preceded by the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer (1985), which provided the framework. The Protocol has been amended several times to phase out other substances, such as halons, carbon tetrachloride, methyl chloroform and HCFCs. The Kigali Amendment (2016) added hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which do not harm ozone but are powerful greenhouse gases. India ratified the Kigali Amendment in 2021.
The Montreal Protocol is the first UN treaty to be ratified by every country in the world (universal ratification, 2009). It is considered the most successful environmental agreement, and the ozone layer is expected to recover to 1980 levels by around 2066 over Antarctica.
Why not the other options?
- ✗The Kyoto Protocol (1997) deals with greenhouse gas emissions.
- ✗The Paris Agreement (2015) aims to limit global warming to well below 2°C.
- ✗The Basel Convention (1989) controls the movement of hazardous wastes across borders.
Quick tip
Remember: Montreal Protocol = 16 September 1987 (World Ozone Day), phases out CFCs; Vienna Convention = 1985; Kigali Amendment (2016) = HFCs.
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Environmental Conventions, Laws & Organisations — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Environmental Conventions, Laws & Organisations, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers international environmental agreements, such as the Montreal Protocol, the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement, the Ramsar Convention and the Convention on Biological Diversity, Indian environmental laws, and environmental organisations and movements such as the Chipko movement. Questions usually ask what an agreement deals with (the Montreal Protocol protects the ozone layer, and the Ramsar Convention protects wetlands), when India passed an environmental law (such as the Environment Protection Act 1986), and who led a movement (Sunderlal Bahuguna is associated with the Chipko movement). Climate summit outcomes change every year, so check current affairs. Practise the environmental conventions and laws questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.