Minimalist IAS
Environment & ecology

Prelims · Environment & ecology · 37 questions

Environmental laws, bodies & conventions

Every UPSC Prelims question on this topic, 2016–2026, newest first. Tap an option to check yourself; the answer and explanation open below it.

Environmental laws, bodies & conventions questions per year: 2016: 4, 2017: 3, 2018: 2, 2019: 6, 2020: 2, 2021: 1, 2022: 2, 2023: 2, 2024: 1, 2025: 1, 2026: 1 Asked in 11 of 11 years · most in 2019 (6)

UPSC syllabus: “General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change - that do not require subject specialization.” See the full syllabus →

Which organization has enacted the Nature Restoration Law (NRL) to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (a) The European Union

The Nature Restoration Law is a European Union law. The Council of the EU adopted it on 17 June 2024 and it entered into force on 18 August 2024, setting binding targets to restore degraded ecosystems across the EU's land and sea areas.

  • ✓ (a) The European Commission describes the Nature Restoration Law as a key element of the EU Biodiversity Strategy, with binding restoration targets for habitats and species that should cover at least 20% of the EU's land and sea areas by 2030.
  • ✗ (b) The World Bank Group describes its role as providing financial products and policy advice to countries; it is not the body that enacted this law.
  • ✗ (c) The OECD describes itself as an international organisation that works to build better policies; it did not enact this law.
  • ✗ (d) The FAO describes itself as a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger; it did not enact this law.
  • • Since then The Commission's page now calls the same law the 'Nature Restoration Regulation'; in 2024 it used 'Nature Restoration Law'. The content and the dates above are unchanged.

Remember · The Nature Restoration Law is a European Union regulation, in force since 18 August 2024, with binding targets to restore ecosystems by 2030 and 2050.

Sources

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2025, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

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