Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP)
Environment & Ecology
- PYQs8
- Articles1
Background
This concept is crucial for understanding global environmental challenges, India's development model choices, resource management, and its role in international climate and sustainability discourse (GS3: Environment, Economy).
Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) is a holistic approach to minimizing the negative environmental impacts of consumption and production patterns while maximizing resource efficiency and social equity. It aims to decouple economic growth from resource depletion and environmental degradation.
Facts & tables
- Core objective
- Decoupling economic growth from resource depletion and environmental degradation.
- Global relevance
- Integral to UN Sustainable Development Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).
- Approach
- Promotes circular economy principles, resource efficiency, and waste reduction.
- Impact
- Addresses issues like climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
| Type | Reference |
|---|---|
| Conceptual area | Environment & Ecology |
Prelims angle
Prelims angle: Multi-statement analysis
Prelims angle: Conceptual understanding
- Decoupling economic growth from resource use.
- Minimizing environmental impact of production/consumption.
- Promoting resource efficiency and circular economy.
- Key to achieving UN SDGs, especially SDG 12.
- Requires behavioral and systemic changes.
| Year | Framing tags |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Multi-statement analysis, Conceptual understanding |
| 2025 | Multi-statement analysis, Conceptual understanding |
| 2023 | Statement-based questions, Conceptual understanding |
| 2022 | Multi-statement analysis, Conceptual understanding |
| 2021 | Terminology-based question, Purpose or function of a policy tool |
| 2019 | Conceptual understanding, Terminology-based question |
| 2016 | Statement-based questions, Conceptual understanding |
| 2015 | Multi-statement analysis, Institutional roles and functions |
Timeline
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Environment & Ecology
Conceptual area
-
Prelims 2015
Multi-statement analysis, Institutional roles and functions
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Prelims 2016
Statement-based questions, Conceptual understanding
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Prelims 2019
Conceptual understanding, Terminology-based question
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Prelims 2021
Terminology-based question, Purpose or function of a policy tool
-
Prelims 2022
Multi-statement analysis, Conceptual understanding
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Prelims 2023
Statement-based questions, Conceptual understanding
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Prelims 2025
Multi-statement analysis, Conceptual understanding
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Prelims 2026
Multi-statement analysis, Conceptual understanding
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U.S. model of consumption will require six Earths if adopted by India, says RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat
SCP focuses on minimizing environmental impact while ensuring economic growth and social equity, a critical aspect of global sustainability efforts.
See also
No related topics linked yet.
Past papers
2015–2026 · 8 questions
In the news
U.S. model of consumption will require six Earths if adopted by India, says RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat
SCP focuses on minimizing environmental impact while ensuring economic growth and social equity, a critical aspect of global sustainability efforts.
Try these PYQs
Consider the following statements with reference to India's response to climate change :
I. India's Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS) is a crucial tool for achieving net-zero emissions by 2070.
II. India's 4th Biennial Update Report (BUR-4) submitted in December, 2024 recorded around 8% decrease in Greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 over 2019.
III. Climate-resilient development necessarily depends on quick and short-term achievement of emission reduction targets.
Which of the following relationships among the above statements is/are correct ?
1. Statement I is empirically supported by statement II.
2. Statement III contradicts the approach implicit in statement I.
3. Statement I and statement III together establish the premise of long-term sustainability.
Select the answer using the code given below :
Statement I is Correct: India's Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS) is indeed a crucial tool for achieving net-zero emissions by 2070. It outlines the strategic framework necessary for sectoral transitions in energy, transport, industry, and forestry to meet this long-term goal. Statement II is Incorrect: While India's 4th Biennial Update Report (BUR-4) does record an approximately 8% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 compared to 2019, this decrease is attributed to the economic slowdown and lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic, not to structural or strategic efforts towards long-term emission reductions. Therefore, it does not empirically support the strategic framework of LT-LEDS. Statement III is Correct: The IPCC emphasizes that climate-resilient development depends on rapid, deep, and immediate emission reductions in the short term. This approach can be seen as contradicting the long-term focus of strategies like LT-LEDS if they do not also incorporate aggressive short-term actions. Therefore, the correct relationship is that Statement III contradicts the approach implicit in Statement I, making option B correct.
"System of Rice Intensification" of cultivation, in which alternate wetting and drying of rice fields is practised, results in:
1. Reduced seed requirement
2. Reduced methane production
3. Reduced electricity consumption
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
System of Rice Intensification (SRI) includes a method called Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) which is a form of controlled irrigation of the rice crops. The benefits from the program include 1. Reduction in methane emissions as compared to traditional rice cultivation. 2. Reduction in water consumption . 3. Reducing fuel consumption . 4. Increase paddy yields . 5. Reduce required seeds for transplanting. 6. Reduce use of chemical fertilizers and agrichemicals . 7. Reduce irrigation demand . 8. Reduce production costs . 9. With increased output and reduced costs, farmers net income is increased .
Proper design and effective implementation of UN-REDD+ Programme can significantly contribute to -
1. Protection of biodiversity
2. Resilience of forest ecosystems
3. Poverty reduction
Select the correct answer using the code given below
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) attempts to create financial value for the carbon stored in forests, offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development. REDD goes beyond deforestation and forest degradation, and includes the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. REDD has the potential to simultaneously contribute to climate change mitigation and poverty alleviation, whilst also conserving biodiversity and sustaining vital ecosystem services. Protection of biodiversity: Forests are incredibly diverse ecosystems, and protecting them through REDD initiatives helps safeguard countless species of plants and animals. Resilience of forest ecosystems: By reducing deforestation and degradation, REDD helps maintain healthy forests that can better withstand natural disturbances like droughts, floods, and pests. Poverty reduction: Many forest communities rely on forests for their livelihoods. REDD programs can provide financial incentives for sustainable forest management, creating income opportunities and alleviating poverty. Therefore, the correct answer is 1, 2 and 3.
In the context of which of the following do some scientists suggest the use of cirrus cloud thinning technique and the injection of sulphate aerosols into the stratosphere?
* Cirrus clouds do not reflect a lot of solar radiation into space. As they form at high altitudes and cold temperatures, they trap long-wave radiation and have a climate impact similar to greenhouse gases. Thus, thinning cirrus clouds would reduce the absorption of infrared radiation and are proposed as a form of climate engineering to reduce global warming. * Another proposed Geo-engineering technique involves injecting reflective sulphate aerosol particles into Earth's lower stratosphere to cast a small proportion of the inbound sunlight back into space and cool the planet off. Thus, both are climate engineering/ Geo-engineering techniques to reduce global warming.
With reference to Direct Air Capture, an emerging technology, which of the following statements is/are correct?
I. It can be used as a way of carbon sequestration.
II. It can be a valuable approach for plastic production and in food processing.
III. In aviation, it can be a source of carbon for combining with hydrogen to create synthetic low-carbon fuel.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Direct Air Capture (DAC) is a technology that removes CO₂ directly from the air for storage or use in various industries. ✅ Statement I is correct:
* DAC captures CO₂ for carbon sequestration, reducing greenhouse gases. ✅ Statement II is correct:
* Captured CO₂ can be used to make plastics and in food processing. ✅ Statement III is correct:
* DAC provides carbon to make synthetic low-carbon aviation fuels by combining with hydrogen. So, the correct answer is: C
Show 3 more PYQs
With reference to ‘Forest Carbon Partnership Facility’, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. It is a global partnership of governments, businesses, civil society and indigenous peoples.
2. It provides financial aid to universities, individual scientists and institutions involved in scientific forestry research to develop eco-friendly and climate adaptation technologies for sustainable forest management
3. It assists the countries in their ‘REDD+ (Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation+)’ efforts by providing them with financial and technical assistance.
Select the correct answer using the code given below
Statement 1 is correct: The Forest Carbon Partnership Facility is a global partnership of governments, businesses, civil society, and Indigenous Peoples focused on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, forest carbon stock conservation, the sustainable management of forests, and the enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries (activities commonly referred to as REDD). Statement 2 is incorrect: The FCPF focuses on assisting developing countries with REDD initiatives, not funding individual scientific research. Statement 3 is correct: To assist countries in their REDD efforts by providing them with financial and technical assistance in building their capacity to benefit from possible future systems of positive incentives for REDD.
Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: Carbon markets are likely to be one of the most widespread tools in the fight against climate change.
Statement-II: Carbon markets transfer resources from the private sector to the State.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
* Carbon markets, which include mechanisms like cap-and-trade systems and carbon offsets, are increasingly being used as a tool to incentivize emissions reductions and help in the fight against climate change. So, statement 1 is true. * Carbon markets typically work by transferring resources from emitters (usually in the private sector) to entities that can reduce or remove greenhouse gas emissions, which can be either private entities or the government. So, statement 2 can also be true.
The ‘Common Carbon Metric’, supported by UNEP, has been developed for
The Common Carbon Metric (CCM) is a protocol developed by the United Nations Environment Program's Sustainable Buildings & Climate Initiative (UNEP-SBCI) for measuring energy use and reporting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from building operations. Its purpose is to support GHG emissions reductions through accurate measurement of energy efficiency. It is a universal method of measuring a building's carbon footprint and allows emissions from buildings around the world to be consistently assessed and compared. Therefore, it is used for assessing the carbon footprint of building operations around the world.