FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DATE 04/11/21, Glasgow, Scotland
The Polish Government awarded Fossil of the Day for walking a very crooked line. It appears that the Polish government isn't exactly telling the truth about their pledge to quit coal.
Now if you’re sitting comfortably we’ll begin this sorry tale of coal addiction:
On the 3rd of November, as part of an international agreement, Poland, along with 40 other countries and organisations, pledged to quit coal. The agreement was that major economies phase out coal in the 2030s and poorer ones in the 2040s. All fine so far.
Being based on trust, countries were able to choose which decade they would stop this nasty addiction.
But here the story gets a bit murky.
The Polish ministry of climate and environment decided that, despite being the 23rd largest global economy, (forecast to grow further in the coming years, according to the World Bank) and with ambitions to join the G20, to put the country in the ‘poorer’ category.
According to ministry boffins, they weren’t a “major economy” anymore and the phase out could wait until, not just the 2040’s but - wait for it- 2049!
The story ends badly (for the moment) with Poland dodging its coal commitment at a time when it’s absolutely paramount that they, and all OECD countries, stick to the 2030 deadline and keep global temperatures from rising more than 1.5C degrees, to avoid extreme climate breakdown. We sincerely hope that’s not the end of the story though.
We hope that they will listen to the voices of those fighting on the frontlines as their homes and countries face destruction and quit coal sooner than later.
==END==
The 🏆#FossiloftheDay🦖 Award🏆 on⚡️Energy Day at #COP26 goes to...
— Climate Action Network International (CAN) (@CANIntl) November 4, 2021
🇵🇱 Poland for dodging its international pledge for a coal phase-out by 2030, instead decided to do so by 2049! 🏭👎
Now we know these declarations are only lip service until it's done 👀https://t.co/krQj5dc0X5 pic.twitter.com/CIKRP0bnce
About the fossils: The Fossil of the Day awards were first presented at the climate talks in 1999, in Bonn, initiated by the German NGO Forum. During United Nations climate change negotiations (www.unfccc.int), members of the Climate Action Network (CAN), vote for countries judged to have done their 'best' to block progress in the negotiations in the last days of talks.
About CAN: The Climate Action Network (CAN) is a global network of over 1,500 Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in more than 120 countries working to promote government and individual action to limit human0induced climate change to ecologically sustainable levels.
Climate Action Network (CAN) is a global network of more than 1,500 civil society organisations in over 130 countries driving collective and sustainable action to fight the climate crisis and to achieve social and racial justice. CAN convenes and coordinates civil society at the UN climate talks and other international events.
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