Fossil Awards for Tuesday, Dec 11

Third place goes to CANADA, JAPAN, UNITED STATES, and AUSTRALIA
Third place is an unprecedented four-way split between Canada, Japan, the United States, and Australia for slapping the developing world in the face by repeatedly implying in the Dialogue that finance and technology transfer are second-tier priorities, rather than pillars of equal importance to adaptation and mitigation.

Second place goes to CANADA and JAPAN
Japan and Canada toasted Kyoto’s 10th anniversary by leading the way in blocking a strong reference to the 25-40% range for emissions cuts cited by the IPCC. These crucial targets had been removed from the AWG text; when a group of countries tried to return them last night, Canada and Japan objected. Ultimately, the reference to the 25-40% targets was only returned to the current AWG as one of two options. Of course, Canada’s own 2020 target is light-years away from what the IPCC says is neccessary to prevent a rise of more than 2 degrees, and Japan has been impeding strong targets throughout the COP—so their obstructionism comes as no surprise.

First place goes to the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
The USA wins a mega-fossil award for a litany of misdeeds:

* Flatly declaring that the UNFCCC is “not a sustainable development convention”… * and trying to remove the call for “sufficient, predictable, additional and sustainable financial resources for” adaptation in Article 1(c)(iii) of the Bali roadmap…

* and trying, in a press conference yesterday, to raise doubts about the Nobel-winning IPCC’s science by claiming “many uncertainties surrounded” the IPCC’s analysis due to its examination of only “a small subset” of possible climate change scenarios …

* and for falsely claiming that to include an ambitious goal for industrialized country emission reductions in the Bali roadmap would be to “start out with a predetermined answer” to the outcome of the negotiations

* and, most of all, for saying that the 25-40% cuts by 2020 are “totally unrealistic for many countries.” Here’s what’s totally unrealistic: any claims of US leadership on climate change at this summit.

Fossil Awards for Monday, Dec 10th

Third prize goes to CANADA and JAPAN
Canada and Japan win third for insisting on retaining the phrases “nature of commitments” and “commitment period and the base year” for Article 9 review. This is a step towards the worst kinds of changes: changing commitments from binding targets to pledge-and-review goals, extending the commitment periods, and shifting the base year for emissions. Coal for them! (And if they keep behaving this way, they have a lot more Fossil Awards coming!)

Second prize goes to SAUDI ARABIA
Saudi Arabia nabs second for trying to block progress within the G77 on adaptation, even after getting the G77 to support their position on response measures.

First prize goes to SAUDI ARABIA
Saudi soars back into first place for a Fossil-winning intervention worthy of the Cretaceous Period: for pushing language on response measures in Article 9 in the Contact Group—and then trying to block further discussion of 6c, the element of the Article 9 review that could add to the list of countries that must take on binding emissions targets. Saudi Arabia is known as an oil state, but here at COP13, they’re building up their coal reserves as well.

Fossil Awards for Saturday, Dec 8

In view of Canada’s leaked instructions to its negotiators, today’s Fossil of the Day Awards recognize three stunning anti-contributions to progress at Bali contained within the Harper position paper.

THIRD PLACE: CANADA
Canada takes third for proposing no short- or mid-term targets, mentioning only a 2050 target date for emissin reductions from an undisclosed baseline. Mr. Harper will be 91 years old by the time 2050 rolls around.

SECOND PLACE: CANADA
Canada sweeps into second for urging a wide-open special exception for “national circumstances” to ensure that particular countries aren’t “unduly burdened” by strong targets. Linguists tell us that “national circumstances” is Canadian for “having loads of tar sands.”

FIRST PLACE: CANADA
Canada captures first for the second day in a row for demanding absolute binding emissions targets for both developing and developed countries from the start, in a clear attempt to sabatoge Bali progress. (Canada’s per-capita emissions are five times those of China and ten times those of India.) Canada urges us to follow the model of the Montreal Protocol on Ozone protection—but Canada has forgotten that the Montreal Protocol began with developed country commitments only. Developing countries took binding limits only later, with extra time for compliance and financial support from developed nations. Note to Harper: try reading the Montreal Protocol. It shouldn’t be hard to find—particularly for a Canadian.

WINNERS FOR FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7

THIRD PRIZE: USA and CANADA
Canada and the US are awarded the third prize for refusing to accept the G77 draft proposal for technology transfer as the basis for discussion at the SBI contact group. When the US and Canada are asked about their own plans for emissions reductions, they sing about the wonders of technology—but then when developing nations ask for their assistance in implementing green tech, the US and Canada run from the room.

SECOND PRIZE: UNITED STATES
The US continues its fossil collection with a second place finish for reopening the Major Emitters (or as they call it, Major Economies) negotiations in the midst of the Bali negotiations—both for distracting other countries’ negotiators from the real work to be done here, and for pushing this ridiculous side process in general.

FIRST PRIZE: CANADA
Canada roared into a first-place Fossil finish for refusing to take on absolute emissions reductions targets unless developing countries do so as well—ignoring Canada’s historical responsibility and its vastly higher per capita emissions compared to developing countries. Could Mr. Harper be hiding behind developing countries as a way to protect his precious tar sands?

WINNERS FOR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6

THIRD PRIZE: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
The USA takes home the coal today for announcing that they no longer agree with Australia on the Kyoto protocol. US Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns said yesterday that, quote, “we do not see eye to eye with Australia and other countries on the wisdom of signing the Kyoto regime, that’s obvious.”

We agree that it is obvious… obviously deserving of a fossil of the day!

SECOND PRIZE: SAUDI ARABIA
Second prize goes Saudi Arabia for the most inappropriate bluster so far: accusing developed countries of bribery. In the informal contact group on the convention yesterday, they accused certain developed countries of bribery for acknowledging that there should be an increase in funding to developing countries for adaptation technology. They also argued that this potential funding amounted to peanuts, and is an obligation already under other conventions. In other words, they weren’t arguing against increased funding—they were just saying whatever they could to deepen mistrust between developed and developing countries on climate change.

FIRST PRIZE: AUSTRALIA
First prize goes to Australia for utterly confusing everybody in less than 24 hours. Australian delegates announced yesterday that they supported 25-40% emissions cuts for developed countries by the year 2020. Shortly thereafter, new Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd stated that Australia does not “accept those targets as binding.” Are we confused, or is Australia? What’s the real story? Let’s hope Rudd sets the record straight in his speech to the plenary next week.

WINNERS FOR MONDAY, DECEMBER 3rd

3^rd Prize Fossil of the Day:

Awarded to Canada, accepted by Hannah McKinnon of the Canadian Youth Delegation with the following justifications:

• For insisting, in a belated AWG submission today, on “emission reduction obligations for all the largest emitting countries.’

• Canada was isolated on this point at last month’s Commonwealth summit, and begins the Bali conference by continuing this failure to recognize the differentiated responsibilities of developed and developing countries.

• After reneging on its own Kyoto commitment, Canada has no credibility in demanding new obligations from others.

2^nd Prize Fossil of the Day:

Awarded to the United States of America, accepted by Gabriel Elsner of the US Youth Delegation with the following justifications:

• For their continued refusal to join the global community in addressing climate change seriously.

• With the announcement today from the Autrailian Delegation that their country will ratify Kyoto, the US now stands alone among developed countries on the wrong side of this supremely important issue.

• The time for action is now, and the US’s refusal to act is an affront to the globe. While the rhetoric from the White House may be changing slightly, their actions are not. The true indication of progress will only appear when the US comes to the table with actions that truly reflect the scale of the problem. Voluntary goals are a thing of the past.

3^rd Prize Fossil of the Day:

Awarded to the Saudi Arabian Delegation, accepted by Emily Lawrence of the Australian Youth Delegation with the following justifications:

• The Saudi’s announcement that they are unwilling to create a new working group as they have stated that there is no possibility of consensus on whether to continue dialogue or start negotiation.

• In this morning’s plenary, the Suadis supported China’s statement of welcome to the newly ratified Australia, however, with two small conditions:

1. The do not want a consolidated work programme.
2. The unintended consequences of climate change mitigation must also be compensated along with the intended ones.