Japan ‘Awarded’ Fossil of the Day at Cop30; Some on Japanese Side Cast Doubt on Selection’s Fairness

By Tomoko Kito and Hiroto Nishihara / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers

15:42 JST, November 15, 2025

BELEM, Brazil — Japan received a Fossil of the Day award during the 30th session of the Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30) by the Climate Action Network, a global network of nongovernmental organizations, the organization announced Thursday.

The Fossil of the Day award is given to countries deemed to be backward-looking in their efforts to decarbonize. The organization said one of the reasons for choosing Japan was because the nation’s stance is “to extend fossil fuel life, not end it.”

On the Japanese side, some people cast doubts on the award, saying that the selection criteria is opaque and arbitrary.

NGOs from various countries participating in every year’s COP choose countries deemed to be insufficient on decarbonization efforts for Fossil of the Day award, which is given daily. Japan has been selected as a recipient almost every year, except in 2020, when the COP was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, the Climate Action Network stated that one of the reasons for the award is that Japan promotes carbon capture and storage (CCS), which it says are measures “dressed-up as solutions.” CCS captures and stores carbon dioxide gas from thermal power plants powered by coal or other fossil fuels.

On the other hand, China has not been given the award in more than 10 years, although the country is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases.

“Japan has been seriously promoting decarbonization despite having few natural resources. [The award selection] is unfair,” said a senior official of the Environment Ministry.