Rescheduling of the First International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) Summit

✅ A. The European Union:
The Nature Restoration Law (NRL) is an EU legislative initiative adopted in 2024. It sets binding targets to restore ecosystems, fight climate change, and protect biodiversity across EU member states. ❌ B. The World Bank:
An international financial institution providing loans and grants; it does not enact laws like the NRL. ❌ C. OECD:
An organization promoting economic cooperation and policy coordination; it does not enact binding environmental laws such as the NRL. ❌ D. FAO:
A UN agency focused on hunger and agriculture; it does not enact regional laws like the NRL.

The Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) is a global network of scientific and policy experts on invasive species, organised under the auspices of the Species Survival Commission (SSC) of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Hence, option A is the correct answer.

Statement 1 is incorrect. TRAFFIC is a joint initiative of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).TRAFFIC is not a bureau under UNEP. Statement 2 is correct. TRAFFIC is a leading non-governmental organization (NGO) that works globally to monitor the trade in wild animals and plants. Its mission aligns with ensuring sustainable and legal wildlife trade that doesn't threaten conservation efforts.

The correct statements about the New York Declaration on Forests are: 1. It was first endorsed at the United Nations Climate Summit in 2014.
2. It does endorse a global timeline to end the loss of forests, aiming for significant reduction by 2020 and ending deforestation by 2030.
4. It is endorsed by a multi-stakeholder group, including governments, companies (big and small), and indigenous communities. Incorrect statements:
3. The New York Declaration on Forests is not a legally binding international declaration. It's a voluntary political declaration.
5. The Declaration is currently endorsed by over 190 entities but it is not endorsed by India. Therefore, the correct answer is A. 1, 2, and 4.

* The BioCarbon Fund Initiative for Sustainable Forest Landscapes (ISFL) is managed by the World Bank. * The World Bank's Carbon Finance Unit handles the day-to-day operations of the BioCarbon Fund, which includes ISFL. * ISFL itself acknowledges the World Bank as the permanent trustee and a key supporter.

Statement 1 is correct: BirdLife's Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) Programme aims to identify, monitor, and protect a global network of IBAs for the conservation of the world's birds and other wildlife. Statement 2 is incorrect: The British biologist Norman Myers coined the term biodiversity hotspot in 1988 as a biogeographic region characterized both by exceptional levels of plant endemism and by serious levels of habitat loss. Statement 3 is correct: One of their key activities involves identifying and designating Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs), critical sites for bird conservation that also contribute significantly to overall biodiversity.

* The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, provides for the protection of wild animals, birds, and plants. It classifies species into six schedules, each offering different levels of protection. * Schedule VI of the Act pertains to certain plants that are prohibited from cultivation and planting without a license. Therefore, If a plant species is listed under Schedule VI, it means a license is required for its cultivation. * The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022 amended the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. The amendment reduced the number of schedules from six to four, simplifying wildlife classification and protection levels. Additionally, the Act also aligned the provisions with CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) by introducing a separate schedule (Sch. IV) for species covered under CITES.

GEF is an independently operating financial organization. The GEF provides grants for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants. The GEF serves as a financial mechanism for five conventions, which are - Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD),
- United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC),
- Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), - UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), - and the Minamata Convention on Mercury.

The term "sixth mass extinction" is used in the context of discussions about the current rapid decline in biodiversity and the potential for it to be as significant as the five major extinction events in Earth's history. Mass extinction events: Throughout Earth's history, there have been five major extinction events where a large percentage of species (estimated at 75% or more) disappeared in a geologically short period. Examples include the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event that wiped out non-avian dinosaurs. Sixth mass extinction: Scientists are concerned that human activities like habitat destruction, climate change, pollution, and overexploitation of resources are causing a mass extinction event that could be as severe as the previous ones. Thus, the correct answer is 'D'.

Nature-based solutions involve using natural processes to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss, often needing dedicated financial support. ADB launched the Nature Solutions Finance Hub for Asia and the Pacific to fund nature-based solutions for climate and environmental challenges in the region.