Solidarity with the People of Sudan – United Kingdom Wins Fossil
Solidarity for Justice Award
Climate Action Network’s Solidarity for Justice Award is a special recognition given at COP to demonstrate solidarity and spotlight the bravery and resilience of a country, people, or community suffering under oppression and gross human-rights violations.
This week’s award is presented to the people of Sudan, in recognition of their extraordinary courage, resilience, and unyielding commitment to justice in the face of unbearable suffering.
The war in Sudan is not a civil conflict – it is a struggle driven by vested interests, by forces fighting for power and land at the expense of human lives and dignity. The people of Sudan have lost vast areas of land and ecosystems, stripping away livelihoods and threatening the health and nutrition of women and children.
Across the country, communities, activists, and organisations persist in defending human rights, protecting the environment, and keeping the flame of climate and social justice alive despite violence, displacement, and loss. Amid war and humanitarian catastrophe, the Sudanese people continue to embody the values at the heart of our movement – solidarity, justice, and hope.
Their steadfastness reminds the world that even in the darkest times, collective strength can light the path toward peace and renewal.
CAN International stands behind the call made by CAN Africa on the United Nations, the UN Security Council, the African Union, and all international actors to work with all sides of the conflict to end the war, protect civilians, and restore peace, dignity, and livelihoods to millions who have lost homes, farms, and loved ones.In solidarity, we stand with the people of Sudan – their struggle is our shared call for justice.
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Fossil of the Day – United Kingdom
During Tuesday’s Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP) discussions, most countries offered constructive proposals – including the G77+China, which called for a Global Just Transition Mechanism and was recognised with the Ray of the Day.
Against this backdrop of leadership and clarity, one country stood out for blocking progress: the United Kingdom:
1. Refusing to recognise the need for a global mechanism, the UK claimed existing UNFCCC structures were “sufficient,” ignoring clear calls from developing countries for coordinated international support. In doing so, it replicated a familiar pattern – dismissing the lived realities and expertise of the Global South. It takes a special kind of irony to tell developing countries they don’t “need” support – in a COP session about fairness and cooperation.
2. The UK further sought to shrink the scope of Just Transition, insisting it should remain a domestic issue – undermining the spirit of solidarity and shared learning. A truly Just Transition cannot stop at national borders. While the UK has made some strides at home, nations gain strength by learning from one another and working together.
3. And behind language about “ambitious outcomes” and “accelerated action” lay no substance or support.
This feels like a serious misstep from a country that could have been a Just Transition champion – with promising domestic examples such as its new green jobs initiative. There is still time at COP30 for the UK to show leadership and support a global mechanism that delivers better lives for everyone and that leaves no-one behind.
For now, for standing in the way of progress and mistaking “management” for justice, the United Kingdom earns today’s Fossil of the Day.
-ENDS-
Notes to Editors
- The Fossil of the Day award has been presented by Climate Action Network (CAN) at COP for 16 years now. The award is presented daily at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, spotlighting those doing the most to block progress in climate negotiations.
- Award location: Blue Zone, Zone D, Action Area 1 – 18:00 BRT daily.
Media contact: Attila Kulcsár – Climate Action Network International akulcsar@climatenetwork.org | +44 7472 124872 (WhatsApp)