COP25 Fossil of the Day – December 4th

At this rate, fossil awards will run out! Several countries will be awarded the Fossil of the day today, again! 

Bosnia and Slovenia rank first! Slovenia wants to fund Bosnia’s coal addiction through Slovenian NLB Banka partly owned by the government and partly by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. That is unheard of! When your brother suffers from drug addiction, you don’t go giving him money to buy more drugs. 

While world leaders gather here in Madrid to address climate change by cutting emissions primarily though coal and other fossil fuels phase out and as Europe prepares to pledge to be the first climate neutral continent, it is shameful that European banks work in the other direction! 

The second fossil award goes to Australia! Again! 

To evade its responsibility as a wealthy nation and major climate polluter, to do its fair share to assist Indigenous Peoples in Less Developed Countries (LDCs) in the face of catastrophic climate impacts, Australia used the vulnerability of First Peoples to claim we need to; ‘break down the developed / developing country divide’, and gives Australia the same financial responsibility for climate action as for example, Timor Leste, Vanuatu, Tuvalu or Bangladesh. THIS IS DISGRACEFUL! 

The truth is – First Nations Peoples are the original Sovereign First Peoples. 

In their words: We are at the front line of many injustices including climate change. We are at the front line of climate impacts despite being the least responsible. 

This is true whether our sovereign lands are in developed or developing countries. 

Australia is breaching our human and Indigenous rights. First Peoples don’t separate our livelihoods from our environment, our culture or our climate. 

The third fossil award goes to Belgium! 

While Europe is taking a leading role on climate, Belgium as the 'capital of Europe' is lacking behind on every target. At the rate Belgium's taking action right now, they won't reach the 2030 goals in 2050. 

– In the beginning of this year the climate minister claimed that trees where 'only made for cutting down.' – that same minister claimed the school strike youth was conspiring against her and that police had confirmed this after this claim she luckily had to resign within 24 hours. (The minister's name is Joke Schauwvliege) – Belgium does not have a climate law. – Belgium sends four ministers to COP25 and 2 by plane, but still they refuse to sign the COP agreements and fly back home empty handed. – Belgium is the most polluted in terms of nitrogen dioxide. – Belgium refused to join a European group to increase their ambition