ITALIAN REACTION TO PRESIDENT BUSH'S NEW CLIMATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 001265 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT. FOR OES/EGC AND EUR/WE E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/06/2017 TAGS: SENV KGHG ENRG IT SUBJECT: ITALIAN REACTION TO PRESIDENT BUSH'S NEW CLIMATE CHANGE INITIATIVE REF: A. STATE 74417 (NOTAL) ¶B. STATE 075287 ROME 00001265 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Economic Minister Counselor Thomas L. Delare, for reason s 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Despite the Italian Minister of Environment's categorical public call for binding CO2 emission reduction targets for all countries, the Chief Climate Change Negotiator said that the GOI has not yet formulated an official reaction to President Bush's May 31 climate change framework proposal. According to this expert, Italy will not deviate from the European Commission position, but neither did it expect to play a decisive role at the Heiligendamm Summit. Despite Italy's close alignment with the EU, he hoped that the U.S.-Italy climate change dialogue, active since 2001, would continue its technology focus on developing cleaner energy alternatives. END SUMMARY. ITALY PRESS REACTION: "A KEY TURNING POINT" -------------- ¶2. (U) Per instructions in reftels, Embassy transmitted the White House May 31 Fact Sheet and additional material on the President's new climate change framework proposal to officials at the Ministries of Environment, Foreign Affairs, and Economic Development. The Italian press reported the President's speech factually in June 1 editions' international news, calling the proposal "a key turning point." Subsequent press play is evolving rapidly, with climate change featured prominently in reporting on the Summit's first day. While highlighting continued U.S.-EU differences, the media hailed positively the U.S. intention to re-engage in multilateral discussions on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. ENVIRONMENT MINISTER: INSISTS ON BINDING C02 COMMITMENTS -------------- -------------- ¶3. (U) According to ANSA wire service reports, Minister of Environment Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio, a founder of the Green Party (which aligns itself frequently with small, fractious far-left parties in Prime Minister Romano Prodi's shaky center left coalition),greeted the President's proposal as a "positive step." But he warned that it might be a mere tactical move, and called for the G8 to put the President's words to the test immediately. Pecoraro Scanio announced that the GOI would work until the Summit leaders could issue a strong and incisive document to seriously confront the real global emergency. Commenting that President Bush's plan called for voluntary commitments only, Pecoraro Scanio mirrored the European Commission line that binding CO2 emission reductions,to be shouldered by all nations, including those that did not sign the Kyoto Protocol, as well as newly industrializing countries, were absolutely essential. CLIMATE CHANGE NEGOTIATOR: GOI REACTION NOT YET FORMULATED -------------- -------------- ¶4. (C) On June 6, we met with a subdued Dr. Corrado Clini (PROTECT),the GOI's Chief Climate Negotiator who is also the Ministry of Environment's Director General for Environmental Research and Development. He personally hailed President Bush's framework proposal as an opportunity to advance the climate change dialogue. Despite the Minister's public statements, he said that the GOI has not yet agreed on a clear position on the U.S. proposal. He contrasted Pecoraro Scanio's extreme views ("The Greens are against everything -- even wind power!") with others in the GOI, notably Minister for Economic Development Luigi Bersani. He was sure that Prime Minister Romano Prodi, preoccupied by political maneuvering inside his shaky center left coalition and by press play surrounding the latest political scandals, would not deviate from the European Commission's somewhat skeptical position and insistence on binding CO2 emission reductions. Clini, a key architect of Italy's "bridge" role between the U.S. and EU on climate change under former PM Berlusconi's government (2001-2006) glumly predicted that the GOI would not play a decisive role at Heiligendamm. LET'S CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON WHAT WE HAVE IN COMMON ROME 00001265 002.2 OF 002 -------------- -------------- ¶5. (C) Echoing themes from the U.S.-Italian climate change dialogue, which will meet next on June 18 in Washington, Clini said he hoped our two countries would continue to concentrate on technology and focus on programs and projects aimed at developing cleaner energy alternatives. He also sounded a hopeful note on the President's new framework, noting that a recent conference he organized in Venice (with the Clean Air Policy Group) showed that common ground could be identified even by a group encompassing many points of view. Looking ahead, Clini announced that he intended to continue the U.S.-Italy policy dialogue with a forum to be organized this fall with Harvard University's JFK School of Government to compare the U.S. and European experiences on "open" climate change questions. Spogli