--- title: "Climate, weather and international efforts" subject: "Technology, Environment and Society" chapter: 6 key: "semester_7/technology_environment_and_society:climate-weather-international" source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/climate-weather-international site: BCT Engineering --- # Climate, weather and international efforts Technology, Environment and Society · Chapter 6: Climate Change - Asked in: 2081 Bhadra, 8 marks - Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14 - Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/climate-weather-international - Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/chapter-6 ## Question Define climate and weather. Justify that the international efforts on mitigation and adaptation to climate change help create better Earth in the future. ## Short answer Weather is the state of the atmosphere at a particular place and time; climate is average weather over 30 years or more. International efforts like the IPCC, UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, Paris Agreement, Montreal Protocol and climate finance help create a better Earth by limiting warming, protecting ecosystems, improving health, building resilience, promoting justice and showing proven success such as ozone healing. ## Answer **Weather** is the state of the atmosphere at a particular place and time – temperature, rainfall, humidity, wind, cloud – which changes from hour to hour and day to day (e.g. "it is raining in Pokhara today"). **Climate** is the average weather of a place over a long period, usually 30 years or more (e.g. "Pokhara has a wet sub-tropical climate"). | Basis | Weather | Climate | |---|---|---| | Time | Short (hours, days) | Long (30+ years) | | Change | Changes quickly | Changes slowly | | Area | Local | Regional or global | | Studied in | Meteorology | Climatology | | Example | Today's storm | Monsoon pattern of Nepal | #### International efforts on mitigation and adaptation 1. **IPCC (1988)** – assesses climate science; its reports guide policy. 2. **UNFCCC (1992, Rio Earth Summit)** – framework treaty; annual COP meetings; principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. 3. **Kyoto Protocol (1997)** – binding emission cuts for developed countries (about 5% below 1990 levels in 2008–2012); Clean Development Mechanism allowed projects such as Nepal's biogas to earn carbon credits. 4. **Paris Agreement (2015)** – all countries submit **NDCs**; goal to keep warming well below 2 °C and pursue 1.5 °C; net-zero by the second half of the century; global stocktake every five years. 5. **Montreal Protocol (1987)** and its **Kigali Amendment (2016)** – the Montreal Protocol phases out CFCs; the Kigali Amendment phases down HFCs. 6. **Climate finance** – Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund, GEF, Loss and Damage Fund (COP27/28). 7. **Adaptation programmes** – National Adaptation Plans, LDC Fund; Nepal's NAPA, LAPA and NAP. 8. **REDD+** – payments for forest conservation. #### Why these efforts help create a better Earth 1. **Limit warming** – global cooperation has already lowered projected warming compared to the no-policy path; renewable energy is now the cheapest new power in most countries. 2. **Protect ecosystems** – limiting warming to 1.5 °C saves far more coral reefs, glaciers and species than 2 °C. 3. **Cleaner air and better health** – cutting fossil fuels reduces air pollution deaths. 4. **Resilient communities** – adaptation funding builds early warnings, resilient crops and infrastructure; fewer lives lost to floods and GLOFs. 5. **Justice for vulnerable countries** – finance and technology transfer help countries like Nepal that emit little but suffer much. 6. **Green economy** – new jobs in solar, EVs, efficiency; sustainable development (SDG 13). 7. **Proven success** – the Montreal Protocol is healing the ozone layer, showing that collective action works. However, current NDCs are still not enough for 1.5 °C, and promised finance is often delayed; stronger and fair implementation is needed for these efforts to deliver a better future Earth. ## Check yourself The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why. 1. How does weather differ from climate? A. Weather is long-term average; climate is today's state B. Weather is short-term state of the atmosphere; climate is long-term (30+ years) average C. They are the same D. Climate changes hourly Answer: B. Weather is short-term; climate is the 30+ year average. (Key point: Weather vs climate) 2. What did the Kyoto Protocol introduce? A. Binding emission cuts for developed countries and the Clean Development Mechanism B. NDCs for all countries C. The Green Climate Fund D. The ozone treaty Answer: A. Kyoto set binding cuts (~5% below 1990) and CDM. (Key point: Kyoto Protocol) 3. What is a key feature of the Paris Agreement? A. All countries submit NDCs with a five-yearly global stocktake B. Only developed countries act C. Targets 5 °C D. No reporting Answer: A. All countries submit NDCs and progress is reviewed through stocktakes. (Key point: Paris Agreement) 4. What does the Montreal Protocol show? A. Collective action works, as the ozone layer is healing B. Treaties fail C. It banned coal D. It created IPCC Answer: A. It phased out CFCs and the ozone layer is recovering. (Key point: Montreal Protocol) ## Related in Technology, Environment and Society - [Climate change gases, mitigation and international efforts](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Acc-gases-international-efforts) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 6 - [Climate change impacts in Nepal and international efforts](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Acc-impacts-nepal-international) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 6 - [Short note: Climate change mitigation and adaptation](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Acc-mitigation-adaptation-note) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 6 - [Human-induced climate change and international efforts](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Ahuman-induced-cc-international) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 6 - [Short note: International efforts to mitigate climate change](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Ainternational-efforts-note) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 6 - [Are international climate efforts enough?](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Ainternational-efforts-enough) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 6 ## Related in other subjects - [Climate change and renewable mitigation](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fenergy_environment_and_society%3Aclimate-change-renewables-mitigation) — Energy Environment and Society, chapter 4