HMG PLANS RELEASE OF CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT AT G8

C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 005498 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS PLEASE PASS OES/FO:HARLAN WATSON E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/26/2016 TAGS: SENV UK SUBJECT: HMG PLANS RELEASE OF CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT AT G8 MEETING REF: A. LONDON 4335 ¶B. LONDON 5383 Classified By: EST Officer Jason Hahn for reasons 1.4 b and d 1.(C/NF) HMG plans to release a report on the economic effects of climate change at or in conjunction with the October G8 ministerial meeting on the Gleneagles Dialogue in Mexico City. The report is widely expected to warn of immense economic costs of unchecked climate change. Release of the report will be accompanied by a "big push" to publicize it in the United States according to David Thomas (protect),the incoming First Secretary for Environment and Energy at the UK Embassy in Washington. 2.(U) Gordon Brown commissioned Sir Nick Stern in July 2005 to write the Stern Review with an eye toward establishing the economic costs of climate change and how they can be met globally and in the UK. Stern was also asked to provide an estimate of the costs of moving to a low-carbon economy and the costs of different approaches to adaptation to climate change. He was asked to complete his report by Fall 2006. Further information on the Stern Review can be found at http://www.sternreview.org.uk 3.(C/NF) Thomas, who is currently making the rounds in HMG in preparation for his assignment to Washington, told ESToff about HMG's plans while at a Wilton Park conference on Energy Efficiency, Energy Security, and Renewable Energy. The conference was held under the Chatham House rule, which forbids public attribution of an individual's statements. 4.(C/NF) While Thomas is relatively low ranking, his comments are almost certainly the result of his London consultations and probably are an accurate reflection of HMG plans. This matches well with comments we have heard from senior DEFRA officials (Reftels) on the need for a coordinated global regulatory approach to CO2 emissions. Visit London's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/london/index. cfm Tuttle