AQA A-Level Geography Paper 2, June 2025: Question 1

01 1 Outline what is meant by environmental interdependence. 4

AO1 = 4

Point marked

Allow 1 mark per valid point with extra mark(s) for developed points (d).

For example:

Notes for answers

Allow credit for knowledge and understanding of environmental

interdependence.

• Impacts to the natural environment in one place have consequences

on the environment in other places (1).

• All countries are connected environmentally because of the shared use

of global commons (1). Negative impacts of one country’s use of the

atmosphere and oceans potentially affects all countries (1d). The use

of global commons is governed by international rules/laws that most

countries have signed-up to (1d).

• Allow credit for valid examples of environmental interdependence.

• Increasing awareness and concerns over climate change mean

countries are working together to address these issues (1),

establishing international organisations such as UNEP (1d). Countries

have created shared targets/goals to address issues that will affect

everyone (1), for example the Paris Agreement of 2015 (1d) which

aimed to keep global temperature increases to no more than 2°C

above pre industrial levels (1d)

• Max 1 for a list of international agreements.

• Allow credit for aspects of environmental interdependence linked to

ecosystems eg within the Antarctic food chain.

It is expected that candidates will interpret ‘environmental’ as relating to

the natural/physical environment. However, if candidates interpret

‘environmental’ in a different context, eg built environment, that may be

creditworthy as long as the focus of the response outlines how aspects of

that environment are interdependent.

– A-LEVEL GEOGRAPHY – –

The notes for answers are not exhaustive. Credit any valid points.

01 2 Analyse the data shown in Figure 1a and Figure 1b. 6

AO3 = 6

AO3 – Analysis of the compound bar graph and map showing data about

the sales and distribution of LEGO Groups sites.

Mark scheme

Level 2 (4–6 marks)

AO3 – Clear analysis of the quantitative evidence provided which makes

appropriate use of data to support. Clear connections between different

4 aspects of the data.

Level 1 (1–3 marks)

AO3 – Basic analysis of the quantitative evidence provided which makes

limited use of data to support. Basic or limited connections between

different aspects of the data.

Notes for answers

This question requires analysis of the relationship between the regional

distribution of sales and corporate locations of LEGO Group. There

should be analysis of the compound bars to show the variation in sales in

different global regions, and total sales over time. Connections can be

made between the two figures to analyse any connections between both

distributions.

AO3

• Figure 1a shows that LEGO Groups sales have increased. Sales in

2021 were about 60% higher than in 2017. However, the largest

annual increase was between 2020 and 2021 when sales increase by

around 11.5 billion Danish Kroner. This is about double the next

largest annual increase, between 2019 and 2020. The rate of increase

in sales has almost doubled each year since 2018. 2018 to 2019 the

increased was about 6%, 2019 to 2020 about 13% and about 26%

between 2020 and 2021.

• The proportion of LEGO Group’s sales for each region seem to stay

reasonably even across the time period.

• As with sales, Figure 1b shows a significant variation in the distribution

of LEGO Group’s corporate locations.

• The majority of the sites are in Europe, Middle East and Africa, just

over 3/5. However, only 3 countries have more than one site, the UK,

and 2 eastern European countries, and account for 1/3 of the sites in

this region.

• Even though LEGO Group has operations in all continents shown,

these are not evenly spread. China and one country in eastern

Europe are the only countries with more than 4 sites, and South

America and Africa only have a total of 2 sites between them.

• There is some correlation between the distributions shown in Figure 1a

and Figure 1b. Europe, Middle East and Africa have the largest share

of sales, over 40%, and have the largest share of sites, over 60%.

• Despite having half as many sites as Asia and Pacific, the Americas

have around double the sales.

– A-LEVEL GEOGRAPHY – –

Credit any other valid analysis.

01 3 Using Figure 2a, Figure 2b and your own knowledge, assess the 6

importance of NGOs in raising awareness around the need to AO1 = 2

protect Antarctica. AO2 = 4

AO1 – Knowledge and understanding of the role of NGOs in enhancing

the protection of Antarctica.

AO2 – Applies knowledge and understanding to the novel situation to

assess the importance of NGOs in promoting the need to enhance the

protection of Antarctica.

Mark scheme

Level 2 (4–6 marks)

AO1 – Demonstrates clear knowledge and understanding of concepts,

processes, interactions and change.

AO2 – Applies knowledge and understanding to the novel situation

offering clear analysis and evaluation drawn appropriately from the

context provided. Connections and relationships between different

aspects of study are evident with clear relevance.

Level 1 (1–3 marks)

AO1 – Demonstrates basic knowledge and understanding of concepts,

processes, interactions, change.

AO2 – Applies limited knowledge and understanding to the novel

situation offering basic analysis and evaluation drawn from the context

provided. Connections and relationships between different aspects of

study are basic with limited relevance.

Notes for answers

This question requires knowledge of the role of NGOs in enhancing the

protection of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. Students should apply

this knowledge to analyse the information shown in Figure 2a and

Figure 2b to assess the importance of NGOs, such as the one shown in

Figure 2a and Figure 2b, in promoting the need to protect Antarctica and

the Southern Ocean.

For Level 2 there must be reference to the figures.

AO1

• The concept of the ‘global commons’. The rights of all to the benefits

of the global commons. Acknowledgement that the rights of all people

to sustainable development must also acknowledge the need to

protect the global commons.

• Antarctica as a global common. An outline of the contemporary

geography, including climate, of Antarctica to demonstrate its role as a

global common and illustrate its vulnerability to global economic

pressures and environmental change.

• Threats to Antarctica arising from:

- climate change

- fishing and whaling – A-LEVEL GEOGRAPHY – –

- the search for mineral resources

- tourism and scientific research.

• The role of NGOs in monitoring threats and enhancing protection of

6 Antarctica.

AO2

• Assessment of the information in Figure 2a and Figure 2b may come

to the view that NGOs are important as a means of promoting the need

to enhance the protection of Antarctica. The NGO, UNLESS, is clearly

promoting a threat it perceives to the future protection of Antarctica.

• Figure 2a and Figure 2b show the importance of the NGO in

attempting to raise awareness of a potential threat to Antarctica. That

current restrictions on the extraction of hydrocarbons in Antarctica are

not permanent.

• Assessment may come to the view that NGOs, such as UNLESS, have

a significant role to play in reminding people that current protections for

Antarctica are not permanent.

• Assessment may come to the view that it is important for organisations

like NGOs to remind people that the current Protocol that protects

Antarctica is only in place until 2048.

• Assessment of Figure 2a and Figure 2b may suggest that NGOs, like

UNLESS, are important. The publicity material in the Figure

showspeople may not realise that the governance, and therefore

protection of Antarctica, is controlled by a relatively small group of

countries.

• Responses may come to the view that NGOs are important as they

may act less in their own self-interest than some of the countries who

do have a direct say in the governance of Antarctica.

• Assessment may come to the view that in some ways NGOs, like

UNLESS, have less importance as they have little actual power to act

in the protection of Antarctica.

• There may be an overall assessment of the role NGOs play in

ensuring the wider global population is aware of the governance of

Antarctica as a Global Common.

– A-LEVEL GEOGRAPHY – –

Credit any other valid approach.

01 4 ‘Unequal flows of technology are the main cause of inequalities in 20

patterns of consumption around the world.’ AO1 = 10

Critically assess the extent to which you agree with this statement. AO2 = 10

AO1 – Knowledge and understanding of unequal flows of technology as

a cause of inequalities for people and places. Knowledge and

understanding of global patterns of consumption.

AO2 – Application of knowledge and understanding to critically assess

the extent to which unequal flows of technology are the main cause of

inequalities in consumption.

Notes for answers

The question requires candidates to make links between different

aspects of the Global Governance unit. They need to apply their

knowledge of unequal flows within global systems to patterns of

consumption. This is a very open question and candidates can tackle it

in a variety of ways.

AO1

• Knowledge and understanding of dimensions of globalisation: patterns

of consumption.

• Issues associated with interdependence including how unequal flows

of people, money, ideas and technology within global systems can

sometimes act to promote stability, growth and development but can

also cause inequalities, conflicts and injustices for people and places.

• The impacts of globalisation to consider the benefits of growth,

development, integration, stability against the costs in terms of

inequalities, injustice, conflict and environmental impact.

AO2

• Analysis of unequal flows of technology. Access to mobile phones,

smart phones and the internet, has the potential to radically change

people’s lives. However, access to such technology is still uneven,

both between and within countries and regions. Issues relate to the

uneven roll-out of infrastructure needed for such technology to work

effectively and the unaffordability of devices needed to access mobile

and internet services.

• Analysis of unequal flows of technology. Technologies developed in

HICs to improve productivity in manufacturing processes transferred to

developing economies may increase production and improve economic

growth but reduce employment opportunities, so not producing a

corresponding increase in consumption.

• Analysis of causes of inequalities. It could be argued that flows

associated with globalisation may have begun to decrease inequalities

between countries, as capital, ideas, technology and resources are

able to be transferred from more developed economies to less

developed economies. However, these global flows–A-LEVEL GEOGRAPHYmay actually have– –

increased inequalities within countries, as the ability to exploit the

8 benefits of this globalisation is often geographically and socially

concentrated. Responses would probably come to the view that

ultimately wealth determines the level consumption.

• Analysis of patterns of consumption. Generally, consumption of goods

and services is still mainly dominated by those in more developed

economies. However, as wealth increases in MICs, levels of

consumption of manufactured goods and services rises too.

• At a global level the transfers of technology above, have potentially

decreased global inequalities in patterns of consumption. As access to

the internet allows manufacturers and service industries increased

access to larger global markets, and customers anywhere to access

products and services that are globally available, so reducing

inequality.

• As transfers of technology are not even, those who are able to access

the technologies noted above, massively increase the scope of the

goods and services they can consume. This potentially increases the

inequalities in consumption within countries as they initially gain new

technology.

• In developing economies where new technology is employed to reduce

the need for labour, those benefiting from the increased productivity

will see their ability to consume goods and services increase, whilst

those who lose employment will see theirs decrease, thus increasing

inequality.

• Assessment may come to the view that other factors are more

important in creating inequalities in consumption. This may include

factors such as, constraints/opportunities provided by the physical

environment, availability or otherwise of natural resources, the impacts

of natural hazards or human factors to include the impacts of

colonisation or levels of education and training, for example.

• Overall conclusion should seek to assess the extent to which unequal

flows of technology are the main cause of inequalities in consumption.

It should be supported by the body of the text and evidence provided.–A-LEVEL GEOGRAPHY– –

Any valid assessment will be credited.

Marking grid for Question 1.4

Level/ Criteria/Descriptor

Mark

Range

Level 4 • Detailed evaluative conclusion that is rational and firmly based on knowledge and

(16–20 understanding which is applied to the context of the question (AO2).

marks) • Detailed, coherent and relevant analysis and evaluation in the application of knowledge

and understanding throughout (AO2).

• Full evidence of links between knowledge and understanding to the application of

knowledge and understanding in different contexts (AO2).

• Detailed, highly relevant and appropriate knowledge and understanding of place(s) and

environments used throughout (AO1).

• Full and accurate knowledge and understanding of key concepts and processes

throughout (AO1).

• Detailed awareness of scale and temporal change which is well integrated where

appropriate (AO1).

Level 3 • Clear evaluative conclusion that is based on knowledge and understanding which is

(11–15 applied to the context of the question (AO2).

marks) • Generally clear, coherent and relevant analysis and evaluation in the application of

knowledge and understanding (AO2).

• Generally clear evidence of links between knowledge and understanding to the

application of knowledge and understanding in different contexts (AO2).

• Generally clear and relevant knowledge and understanding of place(s) and

environments (AO1).

• Generally clear and accurate knowledge and understanding of key concepts and

processes (AO1).

• Generally clear awareness of scale and temporal change which is integrated where

appropriate (AO1).

Level 2 • Some sense of an evaluative conclusion partially based upon knowledge and

(6–10 understanding which is applied to the context of the question (AO2).

marks) • Some partially relevant analysis and evaluation in the application of knowledge and

understanding (AO2).

• Some evidence of links between knowledge and understanding to the application of

knowledge and understanding in different contexts (AO2).

• Some relevant knowledge and understanding of place(s) and environments which is

partially relevant (AO1).

• Some knowledge and understanding of key concepts, processes and interactions and

change (AO1).

• Some awareness of scale and temporal change which is sometimes integrated where

appropriate. There may be a few inaccuracies (AO1).

Level 1 • Very limited and/or unsupported evaluative conclusion that is loosely based upon

(1–5 knowledge and understanding which is applied to the context of the question (AO2).

marks) • Very limited analysis and evaluation in the application of knowledge and understanding.

This lacks clarity and coherence (AO2).

• Very limited and rarely logical evidence of links between knowledge and understanding

to the application of knowledge and understanding in different contexts (AO2).

• Very limited relevant knowledge and understanding of place(s) and environments (AO1).

• Isolated knowledge and understanding of key concepts and processes (AO1).

• Very limited awareness of scale and temporal change which is rarely integrated where

appropriate. There may be a number of inaccuracies (AO1).

Level 0 • Nothing worthy of credit.

(0 marks)