News In Shorts

Officially known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, the legally binding UN treaty covers the ocean zones that lie beyond national waters (namely, the “high seas”) and the international seabed area.

• These regions are global common oceans open to all for purposes such as navigation, overflight, laying submarine cables, pipelines etc. and make up over two-thirds of the ocean’s surface. 

About BBNJ Agreement

• Adopted in 2023 by the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction convened under the auspices of the United Nations.
  • It becomes third implementing agreement to UNCLOS, in addition to 1994 Part XI Implementation Agreement and 1995 UN Fish Stocks Agreement.
• Objective: Ensure the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ).
• It addresses four main issues:
  • Marine genetic resources, including the fair and equitable sharing of benefits 
  • Measures such as area-based management tools, including marine protected areas
  • Environmental impact assessments 
  • Capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology 
• It establishes a funding mechanism and sets up institutional arrangements, including a Conference of the Parties, a Clearing-House Mechanism and a secretariat.
• Members: 83 nations have ratified the treaty. India signed the agreement but is yet to ratify.

The sixteenth session of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Assembly concluded in Abu Dhabi, UAE with adoption of IRENA’s Medium-term Strategy 2023-2027 Evaluation and Work Programme.

• IRENA and International Labour Organization (ILO) jointly released Renewable Energy and Jobs – Annual Review 2025 prior to the assembly session.

Key highlights of the report

• Global renewable energy (RE) employment (2024): 16.6 million jobs (highest in Solar photovoltaic sector) dominated by China.
• India related findings: 
  • RE Employment: 1.3 million jobs (7.7% global share); 2nd in Solar photovoltaic and Hydropower employment (after China); 4th globally in Liquid biofuels and Wind employment.
  • Solar Manufacturing: Holds 4.8% share of global PV module manufacturing.
    • Gujarat is the leading state for module manufacturing with 42% of capacity, followed by Tamil Nadu (11%).

The EU implemented the world’s first carbon tax (CBAM) from January 1, 2026, imposing a carbon-related levy on imports of carbon-intensive goods.

About Carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM)

• It is the European Union’s (EU) policy to impose a carbon tax on imports of certain products from countries with less stringent climate policies. E.g. Steel.
• CBAM, implemented in 2023, moves from transitional phase to full enforcement by 2026.
• Objective: Prevent Carbon Leakage by stopping firms from shifting production to countries with weaker climate rules.
• Sectors Covered: Cement, aluminium, fertilisers, iron and steel, hydrogen and electricity.
• Trade Impact: Indian exports of steel, aluminium, cement may face higher costs.

The change was enacted by amending the consolidated guidelines of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980 (formerly the Forest Conservation Act).

Key Amendments

• It allows assisted natural regeneration including afforestation/plantation, carried out by Government or non-Government entities to be treated as “forestry activities”.
• Consequently, on such activities, the requirements of Compensatory Afforestation and payment of Net Present Value (NPV) shall not be applicable to such activities.
  • Compensatory Afforestation (CA): CA means afforestation done in lieu of diversion of forest land for non-forest purposes.
    • It compensates the loss of 'land by land' and loss of 'trees by trees' and is done on non-forest land.
  • Net Present Value (NPV): NPV is a mandatory fee intended to compensate for the loss of ecosystem services like carbon sequestration, water recharge, and biodiversity. 
  • Funds collected towards CA and NPV are deposited in State Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), established under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Act, 2016.
• State government can devise a framework for utilization of such plantations and for revenue sharing.

A new digital platform, Atlas of Climate Adaptation in Indian Agriculture (ACASA-India) has been launched to help farmers plan for climate challenges.

• It has been developed by ICAR-led National Agricultural Research and Extension System (NARES) in collaboration with Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) –CIMMYT to support location-specific, data-driven adaptation planning for climate resilient agriculture.

• Insights from ACASA-India would help government agencies determine future investment requirements for climate risk mitigation and scaling opportunities. 

About National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA)

• Launched by: Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in 2011.
• Objective: 

• To enhance resilience of Indian agriculture to climate change and vulnerability
• To validate and demonstrate climate resilient technologies on farmer’s fields.

What is Climate Resilient Agriculture (CRA)?

• It refers to adopting adaptation and mitigation practices in agriculture to enhance system’s ability to withstand climate shocks and recover quickly.

Need for CRA

• Preventing Yield loss: Climate change can reduce yields by 4.5 to 9.0% resulting in around 1.5% GDP loss per year.
• Protecting Livelihoods: Around 57% of rural households depend on farming for income.
• Rainfed Area Vulnerability: 51% of India’s net sown area is rainfed, producing ~40% of food, making it highly sensitive to climate variability.
• Food security: India faces increased issues of undernourishment, child malnutrition, micronutrient deficiency etc.

Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has notified the Environmental (Protection) Fund Rules, 2026 to streamline use of the Environmental Protection Fund.

About Environmental Protection Fund

• Legal Basis: Constituted under Section 16 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, in the Public Account of India.
• Corpus: Accumulates fines under Air (1981), Water (1974), and Environment (1986) Acts.
• Allocation: 75% of funds are remitted to States/UTs, while 25% is retained by the Centre.
• Utilization: Earmarked for monitoring networks, remediation of contaminated sites, and R&D in clean technology.
• Oversight: Managed by a Project Management Unit and audited by the CAG.
• Institutional Capacity: Finances the strengthening of regulatory bodies like CPCB and SPCBs.

The study highlighted that global ocean warming continued unabated in 2025 in response to increased greenhouse gas concentrations and reductions in sulfate aerosols.

Key Findings of the Study

• In 2025, oceans absorbed additional 23 zettajoules (ZJ) of heat,  the highest ever recorded since the 1960s.
• Nearly 90% of excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases is absorbed by the oceans, which confirms oceans as the primary buffer of global warming.
• Global average Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs) in 2025 were among the highest ever recorded (approximately 0.5°C above the 1981–2010 average).

Major Implications of Ocean Warming

• Increased ocean stratification: Warmer surface waters reduce mixing of water layers, leading to lower oxygen supply to deeper waters, reduced nutrient transport to the surface and decline in ocean productivity. 
• Increase in Marine Heat Waves: It can lead to coral bleaching, coral diseases, changes in migration and breeding of marine species etc.
• Intense Storms: Warmer oceans provide more heat and moisture to the atmosphere which can lead to more intense cyclones and hurricanes, bringing heavier rainfall and flooding.
• Threat to Marine Ecosystems: Reduced nutrients threaten phytoplankton, the base of marine food chains.

Released by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, it clearly highlights that the region is warming far faster than the rest of the planet. 

Key Highlights

• Arctic Surface Air Temperatures: It was highest on record during the past year (October 2024-September 2025) since 1900. 
  • The last 10 years are the 10 warmest on record in the Arctic.
• Atlantification: An influx of anomalous water properties and biota from lower latitudes to central Arctic Ocean. 
  • It weakens the Arctic Ocean stratification enhancing heat transfer, melting sea ice, and threatening ocean circulation patterns. 
• Rusting of Rivers:  In Arctic Alaska, surface waters have changed from clear to orange in over 200 watersheds due to iron release from thawing permafrost soils, impacting both fishes and water supplies to local communities. 
• Greening of the Arctic: First detected in the late 1990s, it is a long-term increase in the productivity and abundance of tundra vegetation. 
  • It has far-reaching impacts to Arctic landscapes, wildlife habitats, biodiversity, permafrost conditions, and the livelihood of Arctic people. 

A report by UN University Institute for Water, Environment and Health highlighted that the planet has entered the Global Water Bankruptcy era.

• Water Bankruptcy is a persistent post-crisis condition of human-water system in which long-term water use has exceeded renewable inflows and safe depletion limits, causing irreversible or effectively irreversible degradation.
  • Report highlights that parts of the water and natural capital—rivers, lakes, aquifers, wetlands, soils, and glaciers—have been damaged beyond realistic prospects of full recovery.
• In contrast, water stress is a condition of high-water demand relative to supply but impacts are largely reversible and water crisis is where shock-driven disruptions temporarily push water systems beyond capacity but which can be restored through emergency and restoration measures. 

Factors leading to Water Bankruptcy 

• Slow-onset depletion: Chronic overuse of surface and groundwater slowly degrades storage and quality, with early warning signs ignored until irreversible thresholds are crossed.
• Infrastructure-driven overshoot: Large dams and transfers enable expansion beyond sustainable limits.
• Ecological liquidation: Wetlands, floodplains, forests, and soils are converted or degraded in ways that increase short-term productive capacity while eroding long-term water storage, filtration, and buffering.
• Climate-amplified overshoot: Climate change accelerates existing stress by reducing reliable supply and increasing variability in already overexploited systems.