CLIMATE CHANGE-SPAIN SEEKS TO WORK WITH U.S. AT

UNCLAS MADRID 002201 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/WE, EUR/PGI, OES/E/ENV, OES/OGC DOE FOR EERE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ENRG KGCC SENV SP SUBJECT: CLIMATE CHANGE-SPAIN SEEKS TO WORK WITH U.S. AT BALI AND BEYOND REF: A. STATE 159374 ¶B. MADRID 2132 ¶1. (SBU) On December 4, DCM delivered ref a points on USG climate change objectives to Spanish Secretary General (Vice-Minister) of the Environment Arturo Aizpiri. Aizpiri said he was optimistic about the prospects for progress in Bali. Spain,s objective was the EU one of setting a negotiating schedule that would lead to an agreement by the 2009 Copenhagen summit on a post-2012 regime. He did not know how much progress would be possible at Bali on the parameters of such an agreement, but he hoped delegates could settle on a range of necessary emissions cuts. He said Spain hoped that the existing UNFCCC process and the Kyoto ad hoc working group process could come together. ¶2. (SBU) In response to the DCM,s extensive review of the Major Economies Meeting (MEM) process, Aizpiri noted again Spain,s disappointment at not having been included in the process (ref b). He said that if the USG envisioned continuing the process after the second meeting, Spain felt that it should participate. He welcomed the USG position that the MEM process should contribute to reaching a global agreement under the UNFCCC and expressed interest in receiving details on how this would work. He said that initiatives such as the MEM could be useful if they were coordinated with and contributed to the UNFCCC process, but if they did not, they risked damaging the coherence of the global effort. ¶3. (U) Aizpiri emphasized several times that progress on climate change would depend to a significant degree on U.S. and EU leadership, and he repeated his desire to work with the U.S. constructively at Bali and beyond. He admitted that the EU alone could not convince China and India to participate and that U.S. involvement was necessary for this reason as well. He noted the many developments that have taken place in the last year in the U.S. and around the world. He cited as an upcoming milestone the European Commission,s expected January 23 proposal for 2020 emissions and renewable fuels targets for EU member countries, which he said would allow the EU to meet its goals of a 20 percent reduction in CO2 emissions and of use of renewable fuels for 20 percent of the EU,s energy consumption. ¶4. (U) Separately, Aizpiri conveyed Environment Minister Cristina Narbona,s thanks for USG actions in helping reach agreement in New York the previous week on the budget of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. He also repeated his interest in participating in the February 11-14 Spanish renewable energy mission to Washington and Colorado that post is helping organize. AGUIRRE