MAJOR ECONOMIES MEETING II - FINALIZED GERMAN

UNCLAS BERLIN 000109 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS WHITE HOUSE FOR CEQ: SCHMIDT, MILLS NSC FOR DAN PRICE STATE FOR "G" - DOBRIANSKY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV KGHG ENRG PGOV PREL GM SUBJECT: MAJOR ECONOMIES MEETING II - FINALIZED GERMAN DELEGATION AND ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY COMMENTS REF: A. REF A: 07 STATE 5908 ¶B. REF B: 07 BERLIN 38 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The German delegation to the second Major Economies Meeting has been finalized and will now include a representative of the Federal Chancellery in addition to those from the Environment and Foreign Affairs Ministries. In response to the action request (REF A),the Environment Ministry provided additional feedback on MEM agenda items on January 24. ¶2. (SBU) As previously noted (REF B),the German delegation will be led by Environment Ministry State Secretary Matthias Machnig. The team will also include his colleagues Karsten Sach and Carolin Zerger, as well as Foreign Ministry representative Reinhardt Krapp. It is now confirmed that Dr. Peter Roesgen, the Deputy Director General for Infrastructure, will represent the Federal Chancellery. ¶3. (SBU) In a discussion with EconOff on January 24, Ms. Zerger relayed Germany's top concerns about the MEM II. Zerger said that delegates must first speak about exactly how the MEM will contribute to the UNFCCC and which specific topics should be included in MEM discussions (noting some topics should not be addressed, REF B). Second, Germany wants to talk about peak emissions in the context of discussions about a Long Term Goal. Germany supports the IPCC recommendation that this should happen in the next 10 to 15 years. Third, Zerger stressed that Germany will talk about technological sectoral approaches only in the context of absolute numerical targets that she said are needed in the UN process. Finally, Zerger repeated that Germany does not want to discuss forestry, adaptation or measurement in the Major Economies Process. TIMKEN JR