< Daily Current Affairs & Important Editorials

---

Reference Fuel

GS- III >> Economy >> Energy

India has initiated the production of “reference” petrol and diesel, marking its inclusion in a distinguished group of nations involved in the manufacture of these specialized fuels crucial for automobile testing.

The Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has engineered these fuels with elevated specifications to supplant imports, guaranteeing a cost-effective and dependable supply for both vehicle manufacturers and testing agencies.

Reference fuels are high-quality fuels used by gasoline and diesel vehicle manufacturers. They are used for:

1. Engine development
2. Performance assessment
3. Ensuring operability across global climatic conditions
4. Calibration and testing of vehicles

Reference fuels are premium products. They have higher octane numbers than normal fuels.

Source:https://economictimes.indiatimes.com

United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF)

GS- III >> Environment >> Flora & Fauna

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is organizing a special event called the Country-Led Initiative (CLI) as part of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF). This event will take place at the Forest Research Institute in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
• The main goal of this event is to join in discussions about Sustainable Forest Management and the UN Strategic Plan for Forests (UNSPF). The focus will be on specific topics like forest fires and forest certification.
• The meeting is expected to lead to the creation of plans and suggestions for managing forest fires and forest certification.

About the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF):

About:	The UNFF is an intergovernmental policy forum that promotes the management, conservation, and sustainable development of all types of forests and aims to strengthen long-term political commitment to this end.
Establishment:	UNFF was established in 2000 by the UN Economic and Social Council. It has universal membership and is composed of all Member States of the United Nations.
Major Related Events related to the forest:	1992: UN Conference on Environment and Development adopts the “Forest Principles” and Agenda 21.
	Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (1995) and Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (1997) were established to implement the Forest Principles from 1995 to 2000.
	2006: UNFF agrees on four Global Objectives for Forests
The Four Global Objectives on Forests:	Reverse the loss of forest cover worldwide through sustainable forest management (SFM)
	Enhance forest-based economic, social, and environmental benefits
	Significantly increase the area of sustainably managed forests
	Reverse the decline in official development assistance for SFM and mobilize increased financial resources for the implementation of SFM.

Source: https://pib.gov.in