Why in the News?
This year marks three decades since the landmark Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, which established the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
About United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED):
- Event: Also called the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (June 3–14, 1992).
- Participation: 178 countries, 117 heads of state, thousands of NGOs and civil society groups.
- Objective: Reconcile economic growth with environmental protection, mainstreaming sustainable development globally.
- Key Outcomes:
- Rio Declaration (27 principles, including precautionary principle & Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR)).
- Agenda 21 (non-binding action plan for sustainable development).
- UNFCCC (binding treaty on climate change; later Kyoto Protocol, Paris Agreement).
- Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (binding treaty on biodiversity).
- Statement of Forest Principles (non-binding guidelines for sustainable forests).
- Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) created to monitor implementation.
- Significance: Landmark in international environmental diplomacy, embedding sustainability in global policy and leading to follow-ups (Rio+10, Rio+20).
India and UNCED:
- Stance & Advocacy:
- Strongly pushed for Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR); developed nations must bear greater responsibility due to historical emissions and resource use.
- Emphasized poverty eradication and the right to economic growth for developing countries.
- Called for financial support and technology transfer from developed countries to the Global South.
- Commitments:
- Signed & ratified all key Rio agreements: Rio Declaration, Agenda 21, UNFCCC, CBD.
- Domestic Follow-up:
- Integrated Agenda 21 principles into national policies (sustainable resource use, biodiversity protection, EIAs).
- Strengthened environmental legislation under the Environment Protection Act (1986).
- Role: Positioned itself as a voice of developing countries, balancing environment with development imperatives.
| [UPSC 2010] The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an international treaty drawn at-
Options: (a) United Conference on the Human Environment, Stockholm, 1972 (b) UN Conference on Environment and Development, Rio De Janerio, 1992 * (c) World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, 2002 (d) UN Climate Change Conference, Copenhagen, 2009 |
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