Fossil # 2 for Canada Canada can’t hide from climate change under an umbrella

December 8, 2009, Copenhagen, Denmark-- Canada, as a member of the Umbrella Group, has been awarded a Fossil of the Day on the second day of negotiations at the UN climate summit in Copenhagen. This “prize”, given to countries who are blocking progress at the United Nations climate summit, is awarded daily by a coalition of 400 leading international NGOs.

THIRD PLACE: UKRAINE
Ukraine wins its first Fossil in recent memory for refusing to tell anyone how it is using its money from selling emissions credits. Ukraine has sold Japan $3 billion worth of emissions permissions. It's required by its own treaty obligations to explain where that money is going. But when Ukraine's NGOs asked, their government refused to answer. The transparency fight is now in court--but perhaps the shaming power of the Fossil Awards will bring Ukraine's government to relent.

SECOND PLACE: THE UMBRELLA GROUP (Industrialized non-EU countries: Canada, Iceland, Japan, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Norway, Russian Federation, Ukraine, United States and Australia)
A fossil for the Umbrella Group for proposing in this morning's SBSTA plenary that carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects should qualify as CDM projects. The brollies have gotten used to subsidizing the coal and oil industries in their own countries--but do they really have to subsidize the same dirty companies in developing countries too? The CDM should be reserved for projects that move developing countries towards actual clean energy solutions. Umbrella Group, good luck capturing and sequestering your Fossil Award!

FIRST PLACE: UKRAINE
Ukraine wins first place--and its second Fossil of the day!--for having the single worst target in the world: a -20% reduction from 1990 levels... which means a 75% increase from current levels. The semi-technical term for this sort of "reduction"--note the quotation marks--is hot air. It's this hot air that was sold to Japan; it's this kind of hot air that is boiling the climate; and it's this kind of hot air that will keep Ukraine and other dedicated emitter in the Fossil rankings until they see the light.

Canada has swept these awards, winning Fossil of the Year both in 2007 and 2008. Let’s hope that Canada has had enough of winning Fossil prizes and is ready to negotiate.

NOTE:
Fossil of the Day will be presented daily in Copenhagen from a network of over 400 leading international non-governmental organizations following a vote to determine which country had done the most over the course of the day to delay, stall, and otherwise disrupt this crucial negotiating sessions in Copenhagen in December.

www.fossiloftheday.com
For media and interview opportunities and further member contacts in Copenhagen and Canada please contact: