Poland pledge to delay quiting coal wins Fossil Award at COP26 on Day 4

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:

Poland wins Colossal Fossil award of #COP24, while Pacific nations provide a Ray of Light

No surprises here that host Country Poland has received the Colossal Fossil Award of COP24 for it's behaviour incongruent with a climate change conference, including continuing emphasis on coal development, and coal company sponsorship of the COP.

What was even more concerning was the security legislation passed early this year, and it's by Polish authorities to deny entry and/or deport at least 12 members of civil society groups due to attend the UN climate talks in Poland.

Note the Amnesty International report on Poland: Arrests and Refusal of entry to environmentalists during the COP24 climate talks, which documented that at least 13 staff members and activists of environmental organizations were refused entry to Poland during the UN Conference on Climate Change, COP24, held in Katowice. In addition, three staff members of environmental organizations were questioned in their hotels about their IDs by the border police in Katowice. Two of them were arrested and detained for 12 hours.

Some consolation was provided by the awarding of a Ray of the Day, actually a Ray of the COP to Pacific Island Developing nations, specifically Vanuatu, Cook Islands, Samoa, Tuvalu, Fiji, Maldives, Tuvalu for stepping up in this pivotal moment in history (unlike some countries Cough Cough Australia.)

The official Award commendations from Climate Action Network International:

Host country Poland wins first #FossiloftheDay at UN climate change conference COP24

The decision has been made for the first Fossil of the Day of COP24, meeting in Katowice in Poland.

Was it for Australia and Environment Minister Melissa Price with her denial of the IPCC 1.5C climate report message on coal and social transformation needed?

Was it for Saudi Arabia for blocking negotiations?

Was it for the US Trump Administration and the continued dismantling of Federal emissions reduction regulations?

No....it is for the host country of this year's UN climate change conference being held in the middle of Silesia - coal country. A conference heavily sponsored by state owned coal companies.

"Today’s Fossil of the day goes to Poland for trying to protect their one true love – coal – and not its people and environment, as well as for downplaying the urgency of climate action that we need to stay alive - a negotiated decision to strengthen NDCs in line with the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming to 1.5C." says the Climate Action network.

Greta Thunberg addresses UN secretary general António Guterres at COP24 on climate change

Greta Thunberg, the 15 year old Swedish student who started a climate strike outside the Swedish parliament, and initiated a global movement of students and kids for climate action, is at the United Nations climate change conference in Katowice, Poland, COP24, and addressed the UN Secretary General António Guterres.

She did not mince her words, but spoke directly to what is needed, what will happen.

Here is the full transcript:

David Attenborough - World facing existential risk with climate change

COP24, Katowice, Poland, 3rd December 2018: Transcript of speech by David Attenborough

Your excellencies, ladies and gentlemen.

‘We the peoples of the United Nations’. These are the opening words of the UN Charter. A charter that puts people at the centre. A pledge to give every person in the world a voice on its future. A promise to help protect the weakest and the strongest from war, famine and other man-made disasters.

Right now, we are facing a man-made disaster of global scale. Our greatest threat in thousands of years. Climate Change.

If we don’t take action the collapse of our civilisations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon.

Protests against coal plants across Poland as Warsaw climate change talks open

Greenpeace activists launched protests at six coal fired power stations across Poland just before the UN climate conference - COP19 - started. Using projectors on Sunday night the activists projected anti-coal messages onto the power stations urging the world’s governments to phase out fossil fuels which cause serious environmental damage.

Messages projected included “Climate change starts here!” and “Storms start here!” and highlighted the link between greenhouse gas emissions, climate change and the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events like Super Typhoon Haiyan that devastated the Philippines.