Climate change and sustainability

Key ideas

• Greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide) trap heat and cause global warming.
• Paris Agreement (2015): aims to keep warming well below 2 °C, ideally 1.5 °C.
• Renewable energy: solar, wind, hydro and biomass. The International Solar Alliance was launched by India and France in 2015.
• India’s target: net-zero emissions by 2070 (announced at COP26, 2021).
• Mission LiFE: Lifestyle for Environment, encouraging mindful use of resources.
• The ozone layer is depleted by CFCs; the Montreal Protocol (1987) controls them.