Consider the following pairs:
| Terms sometimes seen in the news | Their origin | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Annex–I Countries | Cartagena Protocol |
| 2. | Certified Emissions Reductions | Nagoya Protocol |
| 3. | Clean Development Mechanism | Kyoto Protocol |
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) 3 only
Only the third pair is right. 'Annex I' is a category of Parties under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992), used again in the Kyoto Protocol; Certified Emission Reductions are the credits issued under the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism. The Cartagena and Nagoya Protocols belong to the Convention on Biological Diversity and deal with biosafety and benefit-sharing.
- ✗ 1. Annex I lists the developed countries and economies in transition that took on specific mitigation commitments under the UNFCCC. The Cartagena Protocol (2000) governs the safe handling and transport of living modified organisms.
- ✗ 2. Certified Emission Reductions come from CDM projects under Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol. The Nagoya Protocol (2010) is about access to genetic resources and fair sharing of benefits from their use.
- ✓ 3. Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol (1997) created the Clean Development Mechanism, under which projects in non-Annex I countries earn CERs that Annex I countries may use towards their targets.
Remember · UNFCCC/Kyoto: Annex I, CDM, CERs, emissions trading, joint implementation. CBD protocols: Cartagena (biosafety, LMOs) and Nagoya (access and benefit-sharing).
Sources
- Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC (1997), Article 12 ↗ “Under the clean development mechanism: (a) Parties not included in Annex I will benefit from project activities resulting in certified emission reductions”
- United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992), Article 4.2 ↗ “The developed country Parties and other Parties included in Annex I commit themselves specifically as provided for in the following”
- CBD: The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety ↗ “an international agreement which aims to ensure the safe handling, transport and use of living modified organisms (LMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology that may have adverse effects on biological diversity”
- CBD: About the Nagoya Protocol ↗ “It provides a transparent legal framework for the effective implementation of one of the three objectives of the CBD: the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2016, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·