With reference to the Agreement at the UNFCCC Meeting in Paris in 2015, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. The Agreement was signed by all the member countries of the UN and it will go into effect in 2017.
2. The Agreement aims to limit the greenhouse gas emissions so that the rise in average global temperature by the end of this century does not exceed 2 °C or even 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels.
3. Developed countries acknowledged their historical responsibility in global warming and committed to donate $ 1000 billion a year from 2020 to help developing countries to cope with climate change.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

The correct answer is 2 only.

This question tests knowledge of the key provisions and facts surrounding the Paris Agreement, adopted at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP 21) of the UNFCCC in Paris in December 2015. Let us evaluate each statement carefully.

Statement 1: "The Agreement was signed by all the member countries of the UN and it will go into effect in 2017."

This statement is incorrect on both counts.

First, the Paris Agreement was not signed by all UN member countries at the time of signing. It was initially opened for signature on April 22, 2016 (Earth Day), and was signed by 174 countries on that day — not all UN members. Some countries signed later, and a few did not sign immediately.

Second, and more importantly, the Agreement did not "go into effect in 2017." The Paris Agreement entered into force on November 4, 2016 — well before 2017. This happened 30 days after the threshold condition was met: ratification by at least 55 countries accounting for at least 55% of global greenhouse gas emissions. So the date stated in Statement 1 is factually wrong.

Because both parts of Statement 1 are inaccurate, Statement 1 is incorrect.

Statement 2: "The Agreement aims to limit the greenhouse gas emissions so that the rise in average global temperature by the end of this century does not exceed 2 °C or even 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels."

This statement is correct.

This is the central and most celebrated goal of the Paris Agreement, enshrined in Article 2 of the Agreement. The exact language of the Agreement commits countries to:

→ Holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels, and

→ Pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, recognising that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change.

The phrase "by the end of this century" reflects the long-term climate projections used as reference points for global warming targets under the Agreement. Statement 2 accurately captures the dual temperature targets (2 °C and 1.5 °C) of the Paris Agreement and is therefore correct.

Statement 3: "Developed countries acknowledged their historical responsibility in global warming and committed to donate $1000 billion a year from 2020 to help developing countries to cope with climate change."

This statement is incorrect.

While developed countries did acknowledge differentiated responsibilities, the financial figure mentioned is factually wrong. The Paris Agreement built upon an earlier (Copenhagen Accord, 2009) pledge where developed countries committed to jointly mobilise $100 billion per year by 2020 to help developing nations with mitigation and adaptation — not $1000 billion (i.e., $1 trillion).

The figure of $1000 billion is ten times the actual committed amount and represents a significant factual error. The correct climate finance commitment was $100 billion per year. Furthermore, the word "donate" is also misleading — the $100 billion was to be mobilised through a mix of public funds, private finance, and other sources, not purely as a donation. Therefore, Statement 3 is incorrect.

Conclusion:

Only Statement 2 is correct, as it accurately reflects the temperature targets of the Paris Agreement (limiting global warming to well below 2 °C, with efforts toward 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels). Statements 1 and 3 contain factual errors regarding the signatories/effective date and the climate finance amount, respectively.

Therefore, the correct answer is "2 only".