Global Warming Potential — Prelims Strategy

Prelims Strategy

For Prelims, memorize key GWP values from IPCC AR6: CO2 (1), CH4 (27-30 for 100-year, 82-84 for 20-year), N2O (273), SF6 (25,200). Focus on understanding why values differ across time horizons - short-lived gases have higher short-term GWP.

Remember that GWP values are updated in each IPCC Assessment Report, so specify which report when citing values. Practice elimination techniques by understanding that GWP always uses CO2 as reference (not N2O or other gases), and that synthetic gases generally have higher GWP than natural gases.

Common traps include confusing GWP with Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) - remember Montreal Protocol uses ODP while climate agreements use GWP. Pay attention to policy applications: Kyoto Protocol established GWP framework, Paris Agreement continues it, carbon markets rely on GWP for pricing.

Current affairs focus on IPCC AR6 updates and Global Methane Pledge implications.

Also build Paper II skills

Climate data, pollution metrics, and treaty timelines are natural practice for CSAT data interpretation and careful reading. CSAT hub.

• Data interpretation
• Correlation vs causation
• Estimation techniques