With reference to the Stockholm convention, consider the following st...
Option b is the correct answer.
- Stockholm Convention is an international environmental treaty, signed in 2001 and effective from 2004.
- Statement 1 is incorrect: The Rotterdam Convention is a multilateral treaty to promote shared responsibilities in relation to importation of hazardous chemicals. Stockholm Convention aims to eliminate or restrict the production and use of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). These are chemicals that remain intact in the environment for long periods, become widely distributed geographically, accumulate in the fatty tissue of living organisms, and are toxic to humans and wildlife.
- Statement 2 is correct: The Global Environmental Facility (GEF) is the designated financial mechanism for the Stockholm Convention.
- Statement 3 is incorrect: India signed this Stockholm Convention in 2002. Later, India ratified it in 2006. The Union Cabinet has approved the Ratification of seven chemicals listed under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). The seven POPs prohibited from manufacturing, trading using, importing and exporting are:
1) Chlordecone
2) Hexabromobiphenyl
3) Hexabromodiphenyl ether and Hepta Bromodiphenyl Ether
4) Tetrabromodiphenyl ether and Pentabromodiphenyl ether
5) Pentachlorobenzene
6) Hexabromocyclododecane and
7) Hexachlorobutadiene.
- The ratification process would enable India to access the Global Environment Facility (GEF) financial resources.
- Knowledge Base:
- Initially, twelve POPs have been recognized as causing adverse effects on humans and the ecosystem and these can be placed in 3 categories:
1) Pesticides: aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene, mirex, toxaphene;
2) Industrial chemicals: hexachlorobenzene, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); and
3) By-products: hexachlorobenzene; polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDF), and PCBs.
- Stockholm Convention calls for international action on three categories of POPs: pesticides, industrial chemicals and unintentionally produced POPs.
1) POPs under Annex A of the Convention are to be eliminated.
2) POPs under Annex B of the Convention are to be restricted.
3) Unintentionally produced POPs under Annex C of the Convention are to be restricted or eliminated.