UPSC Prelims 2025Question 32Environment

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 COP28 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 health-care system may be compromised.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Options

(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 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

Correct answer: c

Decision rule

COP declarations are non-binding political statements; an option resting on one being legally mandatory falls without knowing why any country abstained.

Explanation

Correct Answer:

(c) Only one of the Statements II and III is correct and that explains Statement I

Explanation of the Correct Answer:

Statement I: At COP28, India refrained from signing the Declaration on Climate and Health.
– True. India did not sign the declaration. A key reason was concern that mandated greenhouse gas reductions, especially for cooling systems in the health sector, might hamper the country’s capacity to deliver essential medical services, particularly in rural and resource-constrained areas pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+15m.economictimes.com+15forumias.com+15.
Statement II: The Declaration is a binding declaration; and if signed, it becomes mandatory to decarbonize the health sector.
– False. The COP28 Climate and Health Declaration is non‑binding and functions as a voluntary political statement. It sets aspirational goals and encourages action but does not impose legal obligations forumias.com+1instagram.com+1.
Statement III: If India’s health sector is decarbonized, the resilience of its healthcare system may be compromised.
– True. India expressed that immediate requirements to reduce GHG emissions in the health sector—especially cooling—could undermine its ability to provide crucial services in regions that lack robust infrastructure, thus affecting system resilience cdn.who.int+12m.economictimes.com+12forumias.com+12.

Why Option (c) Is Correct:

Only Statement III is correct among the second and third statements, and it directly explains why India opted not to sign the declaration (Statement I).

Supplementary Table

Statement	Correct?	Key Point(s)
I	Yes	India refrained from signing COP28 Climate & Health Declaration
II	No	Declaration is non‑binding; does not legally require health sector decarbonization
III	Yes	Concern that mandated decarbonization could impede health service resilience

Table 1: What is COP28?

Aspect	Details
Full Name	28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the UNFCCC
Held In	Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Date	November 30 – December 13, 2023
Objective	To accelerate global climate action in line with the Paris Agreement
Key Focus Areas	Fossil fuel phase-down, health & climate, climate finance, energy transition

Table 2: COP28 Declaration on Climate and Health

Feature	Details
Nature	Non-binding political declaration
Aim	Integrate health considerations into climate policy
Key Goals	Reduce emissions in healthcare, improve climate-resilient health systems
Supporters	Signed by over 120 countries, including the USA, UK, and Germany
Not Signed By	India, China, South Africa, Russia
Implementation Status	Voluntary; no legal enforcement mechanism

Table 3: Reasons Cited by India for Not Signing

Concern	Explanation
Health System Resilience	Fear that rapid decarbonization may affect critical health services in rural areas
Cooling Infrastructure	Concerns over mandates to reduce carbon emissions from cooling (ACs, etc.)
Equity in Global Climate Action	India insists on differentiated responsibilities based on development status
Flexibility in National Policies	India prefers to pursue health-climate integration at its own pace

Table 4: Concepts in the Question

Concept	Explanation
Decarbonization of Health Sector	Reducing carbon emissions from hospitals, transport, energy, and equipment use
Health System Resilience	The ability of a health system to absorb shocks (like pandemics, climate events)
Binding vs. Non-Binding Declaration	A binding declaration has legal force; non-binding does not compel compliance
Cooling in Health Sector	Refers to air conditioning, refrigeration for medicines — critical in tropical nations

Table 5: Global Healthcare & Emissions

Metric	Value/Insight
Global Health Sector GHG Emissions	~5% of total global emissions
India's Health Sector Emissions Share	Lower than developed countries, but increasing due to growing infrastructure
Challenges in India	Energy access, rural hospitals, temperature-sensitive treatments

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