Question Details

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 decarbonise health sector.
Statement III: If India’s health sector is decarbonised, the resilience of its health-care system may be compromised.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Options

Both Statement II and Statement III are correct and both of them explain Statement I

Both Statement II and Statement III are correct but only one of them explains Statement I

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

Neither Statement II nor Statement III is correct

Show Answer

Correct Answer :

Option C

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

Solution :

The correct option is "Only one of the Statements II and III is correct and that explains Statement I".

Let us analyze each statement step-by-step to understand the reasoning behind this conclusion:

Analysis of Statement I:
At the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, India chose to refrain from signing the 'Declaration on Climate and Health'. This is a correct statement, as India had concerns regarding the implementation details of the declaration, particularly around greenhouse gas emissions for cooling in the healthcare sector.

Analysis of Statement II:
The COP28 Declaration on Climate and Health is a voluntary, non-binding declaration. It does not legally mandate signatory nations to decarbonize their healthcare sectors. Because the declaration is non-binding, Statement II is incorrect.

Analysis of Statement III:
India's primary concern with signing the declaration was that committing to rapid decarbonization in the health sector (such as reducing emissions from cooling systems in hospitals) could affect the growth and resilience of its healthcare infrastructure. Reliable cooling is essential for medical storage, vaccine distribution, and hospital operations, particularly in rural areas. Limiting options before affordable and scalable alternatives are available could compromise healthcare resilience. Therefore, Statement III is correct.

Conclusion:
Only Statement III is correct among Statements II and III. Furthermore, the concern expressed in Statement III (compromised resilience of the healthcare system due to forced decarbonization) directly explains why India refrained from signing the declaration as stated in Statement I.