UN CSD-15: READOUT OF FEBRUARY 26 - MARCH 2

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TAGS: ENRG ECON EUN SENV UNCSD
SUBJECT: UN CSD-15: READOUT OF FEBRUARY 26 - MARCH 2
INTERGOVERNMENTAL PREPARATORY MEETING

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Summary
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1. (SBU) The Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting for the
15th Session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development
achieved its principal aims the week of February 26 of
producing a basis for the CSD-15 negotiating text in May, and
providing a showcase for highlighting proven solutions in the
areas of energy, atmosphere, industrial development and
climate change that can be replicated and scaled up around
the world. While most delegations focused their efforts on
laying the groundwork for the outcome document, the U.S. won
praise from developing states for its singular attention to
action and implementation through the use of concrete
examples. European Union ambitions to elaborate a review
mechanism and a voluntary basket of commitments may
complicate negotiations at CSD-15. End summary.

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Background
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2. (U) The two-year "Energy Cycle" of the UN Commission on
Sustainable Development (CSD) began in May 2005 and consists
of two main sessions: the CSD-14 Review Session (May 1-12,
2006) and the CSD-15 Policy Session (April 30-May 11, 2007).
The February 26-March 2, 2007 Intergovernmental Preparatory
Meeting (IPM) for CSD-15 served as a bridge between CSD-14
and CSD-15, offering an opportunity to "identify policy
options and practical measures" to overcome the barriers and
constraints to implementation that were identified last year.
While the official output of the IPM was a "Draft
Negotiating Document," the CSD Secretariat also continued its
work on a "Matrix" of 120-plus best practices to address the
energy challenge.

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The IPM Outcome Document
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3. (U) The IPM for CSD-15 concluded with the release of a
9-page "Draft Negotiation Document" that listed, largely in
bullet format, ideas raised during the week by delegations
for inclusion in the ultimate outcome document for CSD-15 in
May. The document was organized around the four themes of
CSD's current two-year cycle (energy, atmosphere, industrial
development and climate change),plus sections on
interlinkages and follow-up. Though the draft document
contains considerable repetition of previously negotiated
text, it fairly reflects the content of the week's
discussions while keeping a format that will preclude an
endless cycle of negotiation stretching to the start of
CSD-15 on April 30 -- a key U.S. objective.


4. (SBU) The European Union (EU) voiced loudest
disappointment in the "Draft Negotiation Document," noting
that it omitted reference to the EU's ambitious proposal for
a review mechanism for renewable energy and its proposal for
creating a "voluntary basket" of commitments. Both ideas are
likely to be resurrected by the EU at CSD-15 and generate
considerable debate. The EU representative lamented that
omission of the two points at the IPM may needlessly delay
negotiations at CSD-15 and "put at risk the legitimacy and
reputation" of CSD, "already under scrutiny since the last
CSD cycle." (Note: A G-77 representative had privately
warned that some EU delegates want to see CSD collapse in the
belief that would help spur the EU's push for creation of a
new UN Environment Organization. End note.) Several other
delegations also commented that the IPM outcome document bore
a strong OPEC stamp in its positive reference to fossil
fuels. (Note: The CSD Chairman is Qatar's energy minister.
End note.)


5. (U) The U.S. delegation, the G-77, and others raised
concerns with the scope of the EU's proposals for a review
mechanism, particularly the possibility for such a mechanism
to recommend further policies in the future. On the
commitments basket proposal--received skeptically by the
G-77--the U.S. delegation laid down a marker that such an
approach would need to track with the non-intrusive precedent
set by the CSD Partnerships Database (i.e. voluntary
reporting, no UN report cards).

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U.S. Preaches Practical Solutions
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6. (U) The bulk of the IPM was devoted to a series of panel
discussions on the four themes, as well as a special session
focusing on Small Island Developing States (SIDS),who

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highlighted the particular energy, climate change and
pollution challenges confronting their vulnerable nations.


7. (U) The U.S. opening statement and subsequent
interventions in the panel discussions
(www.un.org/esa/sustdev/csd/csd15/statements ipm.htm) focused
on actions instead of words, using a "Featured Solutions"
compilation (available via www.SDP.gov) to highlight
practical and proven approaches from the CSD Matrix that can
be scaled up and replicated elsewhere (e.g., standards and
labels, phasing out leaded gasoline, nuclear energy, etc.).
The U.S. delegation reinforced this approach by hosting an
"Energy Efficiency Solutions Showcase" side-event during the
IPM, with a panel of public and private-sector participants
(including German government and South African electric
utility representatives) highlighting concrete approaches
that continue to deliver results. Key developing-state
delegations praised the U.S. focus on action and
implementation. The U.S. delegation likewise held briefings
for interested NGOs at the start, mid-point and conclusion of
the IPM to share priorities and solicit concerns. In
contrast to the U.S. approach, most national delegations
predictably devoted their IPM interventions to influencing
the outcome document only.

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Next Steps
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8. (U) The "Draft Negotiation Document" is now closed to
further revision. The CSD Chairman will release a new draft
negotiating text in resolution format on May 2 (the third day
of CSD-15),to be followed by four days of negotiation. The
U.S. was joined by Russia, Canada and Brazil at the IPM in
calling for a lean, action-oriented negotiating text that
neither re-opens nor reiterates previously negotiated text.


9. (SBU) The U.S. will use the coming weeks and first three
days of CSD-15 to underscore our focus on scaling up and
replicating best practices relevant to the four themes of the
current cycle, and advocating that the negotiating text to be
released on May 2 be short and non-duplicative of previous
texts or parallel UN processes (such as climate change
discussions in the UNFCCC). An interagency review will scan
the IPM outcome document for text that fails this standard
and might be deleted from the CSD-15 outcome document draft.
There will also be further consultations within our JUSCANZ
group (Japan, U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Russia
and others),and with the EU and the G-77. The EU will
likely devote some effort to further elaborating its vague
proposals on a follow-up mechanism and voluntary basket of
commitments in a manner that might overcome the prevailing
opposition at present.
WOLFF