There has been evidence since 1950 of changes in climate extremes. Observed changes in climate extremes reflect the influence of anthropogenic climate change in addition to natural climate variability, with changes in exposure and vulnerability influenced by both climatic and nonclimatic factors.

According to the Consumer Electronics and Appliances Manufacturers Association, consumer electronics and appliances in India is a 45,000-crore-rupee industry. A report prepared by the association this year shows the Indian consumer electronics market grew at a compound annual rate of 13 per cent during 2003-13.

Black carbon is a component of soot, released during combustion, particularly incomplete combustion of fossil fuels or biomass. It is released when carbon is only partially combusted. The main sources of black carbon emissions are burning of biomass in inefficient cooking stoves, diesel emissions from the transport sector and from

Montreal Protocol, the multilateral treaty to protect the ozone layer, has been a successful environmental agreement. But an impasse over restricting the use of extremely potent greenhouse gases marred the Protocol’s 25th anniversary celebrations on September 16, 2012.

In 2008, the EU decided to extend the scope of its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions trading scheme (EU ETS) to include emissions from the aviation sector. What was applicable only to stationary sources within the EU, starting January 1, 2012 applies to all flights that arrive in or depart from an EU airport.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the debate on the link between extreme weather-related events and climate change has regained more relevance. Sandy, however, is only the most recent of an increasing number of extreme weather-related events that have led to a loss of lives and wreaked economic damage.

Equity has been central to the multilateral negotiations on climate change mitigation and adaptation between the South and the North.

The last conference of the Parties that took place in Durban in 2011 has put climate negotiations at the crossroads again. The decisions taken at Cancun in 2010 supported a bottom-up approach where countries agreed to take on voluntary emission reduction commitments that were not legally binding.