Consider the following statements:
Statement I: At the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), India refrained from signing the ‘Declaration on Climate and Health’.
Statement II: The COP 28 Declaration on Climate and Health is a binding declaration; and if signed, it becomes mandatory to decarbonize health sector.
Statement III: If India’s health sector is decarbonized, the resilience of its healthcare system may be compromised.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
(a)
Both Statement II and Statement III are correct and both of them explain Statement I
(b)
Both Statement II and Statement III are correct but only one of the them explains Statement
I
(c)
Only one of the Statements II and III is correct and that explains Statement I
(d)
Neither Statement II nor Statement III is correct
Explanation
Statement I is correct. At COP28, held in 2023, India chose not to sign the Declaration on Climate and Health.
Statement II is not correct. The declaration is a voluntary, non-binding political statement. It does not impose any mandatory legal obligations on the signatories to decarbonize their health sectors. Hence, this statement is factually incorrect.
Statement III is correct. One of the reasons cited by India for not signing the declaration was concern that rapid decarbonization—particularly of essential systems such as power supply and cooling in health-care facilities—could compromise their resilience, especially in underserved areas.