Due to it's reluctance to reduce its high levels of pollution, Canada became the target of a press release by ActionAid and The Yes Men. However, there was a serious point to be made.

“We played a joke on Canada to emphasize how far they have to go to reduce emissions and pay their climate debt. They are putting the lives and livelihoods of 800 million small farmers at risk”, said Frans Mikael Jansen, Director of MS ActionAid Denmark.

Canada's high emissions are due to its energy intensive economy and very high energy consumption per capita. It ranks just ahead of Saudi Arabia when it comes to progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

How the Event played out

A spoof announcement by Canada was posted at http://www.enviro-canada.ca/ (a copy of canada's official "Enviroment Canada" website" www.ec.gc.ca) reversing the country's position on Climate. The press release announced the largest commitment on the table at Copenhagen from any developed country - including a promise to cut emmissions 85% by 2050.

Suprising many delegates at Copenhagen and international news agencies, Canada's then accepted the concept of "Climate Debt" (the acknowledgement that rich countries have largely caused the climate crisis through their historical greenhouse gas emissions and must therefore pay for the effects their pollution is now having on poor countries) and revealed provisions for a substantial increase in funding for climate adaptation and mitigation by developing countries.

The "Press Release then quoted the country's Minister for the Enviroment, Jim Prentice encouraging other developed nations to follow it's lead: "We believe all people will benefit from an equitable climate deal that truly energizes the world economy....We want to show the world that Canada is a leader on climate change".

The "Reaction"

The "announcement" was followed 20 minutes later by another press release: "Uganda Celebrates Canadian Announcement" and a "real" press conference where Kodili Chandia Benadette, one of ActionAid’s climate debt agents from Uganda, posed as a Margaret Matambe, a member of the Africa Union. The conference was embedded in a fake COP15 website:http://cop-15.org/news/view+news_newsid=12888.html

You can also view the video via YouTube:

In the Media

The dramatic shift in Canada's Climate policy was swiftly picked up by media and on-line networks like Twitter. The Wall Street Journal covered the dramatic change in climate stance in an article entitled "Canada Announces Major Shift at COP15 Climate Summit" Benedette is pictured and quoted:

“The big powers have had a very clear agenda of their own here in Copenhagen, and so far this has seemed to be more a meeting of a few rather than a global initiative," said Margaret Matembe, a spokesperson for the Climate Committee of Uganda, the environmental caucus in the Ugandan Parliament. "Canada’s new plan is a game changer.” Wall Street Journal 15 December 09

Next was Canada's reaction

Another Press release with Canada's reaction: "Spoof Releases Inhibit Democracy", was published on another "Enviroment Canada" replica website, claiming that the release was false and, moreover, risked damaging the negociating process. Again it was announced via one of our "press conferences".

One more press release

However, the media outlets picked up only on the change in Canada's position and, subsequently, the fact that it was a hoax, we sent out a final press release from the second fake "Enviroment Canada" website. "Tragic Ugandan Reaction to False "Canada" Announcement"

The release professed to express condolence with the very people who'se hopes had bee raised by the hoax, but the real message was that is they are the one's hurt, not by a hoax, but by the refusal of countries like Canada to negocaite a better way out of the Climate Crisis. For them, climate change is not a joke.

But, we did confess!

From a secretly constructed replica of the UN conference hall stage in Copenhagen, the Climate Debt Agents explain why they and The Yes Men set up the elaborate hoax.

“Farmers in my own family are suffering from prolonged drought”, said Benadette. “We have not created this problem but we have to live with it. That’s why rich countries must pay their climate debt”.

“ActionAid’s campaign work rallies public support behind our political demands. We use non-violent and innovative campaigns to attract attention and encourage rich countries to pay their climate debt”, said Jansen.

• To make the point about climate debt, ActionAid’s climate debt agents, dressed in red suits, are on the streets of Copenhagen making their presence felt. Watch out for them!
• Find out more about The Yes Men
• More on Copenhagen
• Climate Change: The facts from around the world and the effects that it has on real lives now
• Rich countries' Climate Debt and how they can repay it, an ActionAid rough guide (PDF)