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