IELTS Practice Reading Test: Climate Change and Global Efforts

Welcome to this IELTS Practice Reading Test focusing on Climate Change and Global Efforts.

This test is designed to help you prepare for the IELTS Academic Reading module.

You’ll find one longer, complex passage suitable for university-level reading, followed by a series of questions.

The recommended time limit for this practice test is 20 minutes.

Remember to read carefully and manage your time effectively.

Good luck!

Academic Reading Passage

A Global Response to Climate Change

Climate change stands as one of the most pressing challenges of our time, threatening ecosystems, economies, and human lives on a global scale. In response to this crisis, the international community has taken significant steps towards collective action, with the Paris Agreement of 2015 marking a watershed moment in global climate policy. This landmark accord represents a unified effort to combat climate change and adapt to its effects, setting ambitious goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and transitioning to a more sustainable future.

The Paris Agreement, adopted by 196 parties at the COP21 in Paris on 12 December 2015, entered into force on 4 November 2016. Its primary objective is to limit global temperature increase to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, while pursuing efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius. This target is based on scientific consensus that keeping temperature rise below these thresholds could significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change.

One of the key features of the Paris Agreement is its bottom-up structure, which allows for flexibility and encourages widespread participation. Unlike previous climate agreements, the Paris Agreement does not set specific emissions targets for individual countries. Instead, it relies on nationally determined contributions (NDCs), where each country pledges its own emissions reduction targets and strategies based on its unique circumstances and capabilities. This approach recognizes the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities,” acknowledging that developed and developing countries have different historical responsibilities and current capacities to address climate change.

The agreement also establishes a framework for financial, technical, and capacity-building support to assist developing countries in their climate mitigation and adaptation efforts. Developed countries have committed to mobilizing $100 billion annually by 2020 to support climate action in developing countries, with this commitment extending through 2025. This financial mechanism is crucial for enabling global participation and ensuring that less wealthy nations can transition to low-carbon economies without compromising their development goals.

Transparency and accountability are central to the Paris Agreement’s effectiveness. The accord includes a robust transparency framework that requires countries to regularly report on their emissions and progress towards their NDCs. This information is subject to technical expert review, creating a system of global stocktakes every five years to assess collective progress towards the agreement’s long-term goals. This process is designed to ratchet up ambition over time, with countries expected to submit new and more ambitious NDCs every five years.

While the Paris Agreement has been hailed as a diplomatic triumph and a crucial step forward in global climate action, it is not without its challenges and criticisms. Some argue that the voluntary nature of the NDCs may not be sufficient to achieve the agreement’s temperature goals, especially given that current pledges, if fully implemented, would still result in warming well above 2 degrees Celsius. Additionally, the withdrawal of the United States from the agreement in 2020 (though it has since rejoined) highlighted the vulnerability of international accords to changing political winds.

Despite these challenges, the Paris Agreement has catalyzed unprecedented global momentum on climate action. It has spurred investments in renewable energy, encouraged the development of new technologies, and shifted the global discourse on climate change. Many countries have integrated their Paris commitments into national policies, leading to concrete actions such as phasing out coal power, electrifying transportation, and protecting forests.

The agreement has also galvanized action beyond national governments. Cities, businesses, and civil society organizations have launched initiatives aligned with the Paris goals, creating a groundswell of climate action at multiple levels. This broad-based engagement is crucial for achieving the deep, systemic changes needed to address climate change effectively.

As we move forward, the success of the Paris Agreement will depend on sustained political will, increased ambition in NDCs, and rapid implementation of climate policies across all sectors of the economy. The challenge of climate change requires nothing less than a global transformation of our energy systems, industrial processes, and consumption patterns. While the Paris Agreement provides a framework for this transformation, realizing its vision will require ongoing commitment, innovation, and collaboration on an unprecedented scale.

In conclusion, the Paris Agreement represents a pivotal moment in our collective response to climate change. It embodies a shared vision for a sustainable, low-carbon future and provides a flexible yet robust framework for achieving this vision. As we face the mounting impacts of climate change, the principles and mechanisms established by the Paris Agreement will be crucial in guiding global efforts to protect our planet for current and future generations.

Questions

Read the passage and answer the following questions. Choose TRUE, FALSE, or NOT GIVEN.

1. The Paris Agreement mandates specific emission reduction targets for each participating country.
2. The agreement acknowledges that developed and developing countries have differing responsibilities in addressing climate change.
3. Financial support from developed countries to developing nations for climate action is set to continue indefinitely.
4. The Paris Agreement includes a mechanism for regular review of countries’ progress towards their climate commitments.
5. All countries are required to submit new nationally determined contributions every three years.
6. The withdrawal of the United States from the agreement in 2020 led to its complete collapse.
7. The Paris Agreement has encouraged action on climate change from non-governmental entities such as businesses and cities.

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