The correct option is 1, 2 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3 only.
Explanation
International environmental agreements are treaties or protocols designed to address specific global or regional environmental challenges, ranging from the protection of the atmosphere to the preservation of specific territories.
1. 1959 Antarctic Treaty - Regional activity limitations: Correct
The Antarctic Treaty, signed in Washington in 1959, establishes that Antarctica shall be used exclusively for peaceful purposes. It explicitly prohibits measures of a military nature, such as the establishment of military bases and fortifications, the carrying out of military maneuvers, and the testing of any type of weapons. Thus, it imposes strict limitations on regional activities.
2. 1987 Montreal Protocol - Stratospheric ozone protection: Correct
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is a landmark international treaty designed to protect the stratospheric ozone layer. It mandates the phasing out of the production and consumption of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
3. 1991 Antarctic Environmental Protocol - Environmental safeguards: Correct
Also known as the Madrid Protocol, this agreement was adopted in 1991 as a protocol to the Antarctic Treaty. It designates Antarctica as a "natural reserve, devoted to peace and science." It establishes comprehensive principles for the protection of the Antarctic environment, including a ban on all commercial mineral resource activities (mining).
4. UNFCCC - Immediate emission cuts for all countries: Incorrect
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), adopted at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, is a framework convention. It did not mandate immediate binding emission cuts for all countries. Instead, it established the objective of stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations and recognized the principle of "Common But Differentiated Responsibilities" (CBDR). Binding emission reduction targets were introduced later through the Kyoto Protocol (1997), and even those applied only to developed (Annex I) nations, not all countries.
Key Takeaway: The UNFCCC serves as a foundational framework for climate cooperation but does not impose immediate, universal binding emission cuts; specific targets are established in subsequent legal instruments like the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement.