Environmentalists pin satirical Fossil of the Day award on Alberta at climate meeting

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Activists demonstrate at the COP28 U.N. Climate Summit, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. TGE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Kamran Jebreili

A global network of environmental groups is giving its satirical Fossil of the Day award to Alberta.

The Climate Action Network, which includes 2,000 organizations from around the world, bestowed the mock honour at the COP28 climate meetings in Dubai.

The groups say Alberta earned the award, in part, for coming to the meetings with an entourage of oil and gas executives, failing to inform Indigenous communities of leaks from an oilsands mine and pausing approvals for renewable energy.

The network says the award is rarely given to non-national governments.

It says the rare exception was made because of Premier Danielle Smith's particularly egregious actions.

Government spokespeople did not immediately respond to news of the award.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Dec. 6, 2023.