Australia has used a summit on reducing greenhouse gas emissions to lobby the US energy minister in support of the development of one of the world’s largest coalmines.

The move, by the Australian environment and energy minister, Josh Frydenberg, at the Marrekech meeting, won Australia the “fossil of the day” award, announced daily by the Climate Action Network to the countries that perform the worst at UN climate talks.

Awarding the fossil of the day award, the activists said: “Australia ratified the Paris agreement last Friday, so lobbying for coal expansion at the United Nations climate negotiations is an ugly, ugly thing to be doing. Shape up, Australia.”

Frydenberg said he raised concerns with the US energy secretary, Ernest Moniz, that Moniz’s Democratic party colleagues were associated with US activists who were trying to stop Adani’s Carmichael coalmine in Australia.

If the Carmichael mine goes ahead, it would be the biggest coalmine in Australia and one of the biggest in the world. The annual emissions from burning the coal it produces would be similar to that of the whole of Malaysia or Austria and more than New York City.

In October it was revealed that among the funders of one low-profile Australian activist group, the Sunrise Project, was the US-based charitable trust, the Sandler Foundation.

The Sunrise Project had been involved in campaigns to try to stop Adani’s Carmichael coalmine and port expansions going ahead.

The revelations came from hacked emails of Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman, John Podesta, released by Wikileaks. They show Podesta was made aware of some of the Sunrise Project’s activities.

The leaked emails reignited a campaign against the charitable status of environment groups.

A report in the Australian newspaper said: “Australia is a key target in a global, no-holds-barred war against coal which has set a priority of shutting Adani out of Queensland.”

The paper said in an editorial: “We should decide what mining projects are opened up in this country and the circumstances in which they open.

“Such authority rests with Australia’s democratically elected representatives and established government processes. It does not belong with overseas governments (including prospective US presidents or their staff), self-appointed meddling international activists or local vigilante ‘lawfare’ litigants funded by activists.”

Frydenberg took up this issue directly with Moniz, the Australian reported.

A spokesperson for Frydenberg told Guardian Australia: “The issue was raised by Mr Frydenberg with Mr Moniz. Mr Frydenberg noted the issue raised concerns in Australia and reiterated that Australia had a very effective environmental approvals process and that a large amount of conditions we’re attached to the Adani mine approval.”

After the email leaks in October, head of the Sunrise Project, John Hepburn told Guardian Australia he was surprised the emails were considered newsworthy and said the Australian and the Minerals Council of Australia were acting hypocritically.

“They’re saying that we need to guard our sovereignty from environmental organisations when the mining in Australia is 80% foreign-owned,” he said. “They put tens, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars into a massive public relations machine that is sustained and ongoing over time. They have incredible influence and revolving doors between the highest levels of politics and their lobby groups.

“And international foreign-owned mining companies dropped $20m into a campaign to prevent a new tax on their industry and, in doing so, destabilised a prime minister. And that is the big issue in terms of national sovereignty.”