Fossil of the Day is presented daily by the Climate Action Network to the countries that perform the worst at the UN Climate Talks. And Japan must have tried their best to get this process so very wrong!
Strike One! First place in the Fossil awards goes to Japan for their extremely weak INDC, which included smoke and mirrors (shifting baselines) tactics to fake ambition. They had the audacity to claim that this is in line with the developed country target of 80% by 2050. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe will present this excuse of an INDC—which equates to 18% from 1990 levels—to G7 leaders this weekend. He will presumably try to pull the wool over their eyes as well with this unambitious INDC.
Strike Two!! The second Fossil goes to Japan for blocking a proposal from G7 countries that would help development aid and banks work. This intervention would be in line with efforts to prevent global temperatures rising beyond the 1.5ºC threshold. Seriously, does Japan want to lead us towards a world with catastrophic levels of warming?
Strike Three!!! Japan wins the third Fossil for funding carbon intensive coal projects in developing countries. Despite growing criticisms from the international community—Japan was previously awarded a fossil in Lima for this dastardly behaviour—it continues to do so. As long as Japan keeps its dirty coal policy, the fossil awards will keep coming. Japan should be funding renewable energy solutions, not dirty fossil fuels.
You’re out! Japan gets THREE fossil awards.
