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At the UN climate negotiations in Bangkok Canada wins the first place Fossil of the Day award
Bangkok (October 2, 2009) - At the penultimate meeting before the Copenhagen negotiations that will decide the global response to climate change, Canada has once again distinguished itself. The Climate Action Network (CAN) International presents "fossil awards" to embarrass those countries hindering progress in the negotiations.
This day's fossil award goes to Canada for blocking agreement on using 1990 as the base year. A common base year from which to calculate emission reduction progress is essential for transparency. Since emissions have grown between 1990 and 2006 (Canada's preferred base year) it disguises weak reduction targets and allows Canada to shirk their fair share in cuts to greenhouse gases.
Canada is now the only country more focused on finding creative ways to hide their
emission increases and make their weak targets look ambitious than solving the climate crisis.
Unfortunately, those emissions linger in the atmosphere much longer than Canada's embarrassment about them.
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