Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BRASILIA1472
2008-11-13 09:59:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Brasilia
Cable title:  

BRAZIL: CLIMATE CHANGE ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION

Tags:  SENV ENRG KGHG BR 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO9798
RR RUEHRG
DE RUEHBR #1472/01 3180959
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 130959Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2846
INFO RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 3033
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 6848
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 8675
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRASILIA 001472 

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR OES/EGC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV ENRG KGHG BR
SUBJECT: BRAZIL: CLIMATE CHANGE ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION

REF: A)STATE 116939, B) BRASILIA 1462, C) BRASILIA 1159,
D) BRASILIA 1377

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRASILIA 001472

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR OES/EGC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV ENRG KGHG BR
SUBJECT: BRAZIL: CLIMATE CHANGE ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION

REF: A)STATE 116939, B) BRASILIA 1462, C) BRASILIA 1159,
D) BRASILIA 1377


1. (U) THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED AND NOT FOR
INTERNET DISTRIBUTION.


2. (SBU) REFTEL A asked how the Brazilian government may have
changed organizationally with respect to climate change over the
past 12-18 months. Post's answers are keyed to questions.


3. (SBU) HAS YOUR HOST GOVERNMENT ALTERED ITS BUREAUCRATIC
STRUCTURE FOR ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE OVER THE PAST 12-18 MONTHS?
CHANGES MIGHT INCLUDE A) CREATING NEW AND SEPARATE MINISTRIES,
DEPARTMENTS, AGENCIES OR SPECIAL UNITS; B) CHANGING THE NUMBER OF
STAFF DEVOTED TO CLIMATE CHANGE DOMESTICALLY AND/OR INTERNATIONALLY;
C) CREATING NEW INTERAGENCY TASK FORCES AND COORDINATING MECHANISMS
FOCUSED ON PARTICULAR COUNTRIES, REGIONS, OR TOPICS; AND/OR D)
CREATING NEW SENIOR CLIMATE-RELATED FUNCTIONS (E.G. SPECIAL
AMBASSADOR).

The Ministry of External Relations (MRE) leads the Brazilian climate
change negotiating team, which also includes representatives from
the Environment Ministry and the Ministry of Science and Technology
(MCT). MRE Under Secretary for Policy, Ambassador Everton Vargas,
heads the team and he is also the principal for the Major Economies
Meeting (MEM) process. Other key figures on the Brazilian team
include:

o Luis Alberto Figueiredo Machado, Minister, Director of the
Department for the Environment and Special Themes, MRE

o Andre Odenbreit Carvalho, Counselor, Chief of Division for
Environment Policy and Sustainable Development, MRE

o Sergio Barbosa Serra, Ambassador, Special Representative for
Climate Change, MRE

o Suzanna Kahn Ribeiro, Secretary, Secretariat for Climate Change
and Environmental Quality, Environment Ministry

o Thelma Krug, Director, International Relations Office, National
Space Research Institute (INPE),MCT (NOTE: Dr. Krug was formerly
the Secretary for Climate Change and Environmental Quality,
Environment Ministry)

o Jose Domingos Gonzalez Miguez, Executive Secretary,
Interministerial Commission on Global Climate Change, MCT


4. (SBU) There are some interesting personnel changes that have
taken place or will take place shortly. First, Carlos Minc replaced
Marina Silva as the Environment Minister in May. In late October,
Minc publicly suggested that Brazil would reverse its position to

oppose developing countries accepting binding quantitative
obligations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Minc called for
Brazil to accept a GHG emissions reduction target of 10% to 20% by

2020. The MRE, which has the lead on this issue, emphatically
rejected Minc's suggestion. MRE's Special Ambassador for Climate
Change Sergio Barbosa Serra suggested that Minc might have been
"misquoted" in the press.


5. (SBU) Second, Amb. Vargas is scheduled to leave to become
Brazil's Ambassador to Germany in early 2009. After Minc's arrival
at the Environment Ministry, Thelma Krug left the Environment
Ministry for INPE and was replaced by Suzanna Kahn Ribeiro. For the
time being, Krug apparently still plays a role in helping set
Brazil's policy. Vargas and Krug have consistently opposed changes
in Brazil's position. Thus, if their influence were to decline then
- given Minc's readiness to make changes - the Brazilian team might
take a different approach then the current stance of "no targets"
for developing countries.


6. (SBU) The Brazilian government has created a variety of entities
to support its climate change effort. In June 2000 it created the
Brazilian Forum on Climate Change (FBMC),which is chaired by the
President of the Republic and includes, among others, federal
officials, secretaries of environment from state governments and
representatives of business, civil society, NGOs and academia. In
November 2007, the FBMC created the Interministerial Committee on
Climate Change (CIM) and it prepared a proposed Plan of Action on
Climate Change (see REFTEL B),which Brazil hopes to roll out at the
Poznan conference in December 2008. The CIM is chaired by the
President's Office and has representatives from 16 federal entities
and the FBMC.


7. (SBU) On August 1, President Lula signed a Decree creating the
"Fundo Amazonia" (or Amazon Fund),a new tool to help reduce
Brazil's high rate of deforestation, which is the principal source

BRASILIA 00001472 002 OF 002


of greenhouse gas emissions by Brazil. The government had a target
of raising as much as USD 21 billion by the year 2011. So far, only
Norway has contributed, with a pledge of up to USD 1 billion through

2015. The National Plan on Climate Change envisions a proposal
going to Congress to create a national climate change fund, drawing
on revenues from oil and gas operations. This fund is only at the
most preliminary stages and may take years, if ever, to go through
Congress.


8. (SBU) TO WHAT EXTENT ARE NEW MINISTRIES OR FOREIGN OFFICES
STRENGTHENING THEIR EMBASSIES IN WASHINGTON TO REPRESENT VIEWS ON
CLIMATE CHANGE TO THE U.S. EXECUTIVE BRANCH AND CONGRESS?

The Brazilian Embassy in Washington has an environmental office.
Moreover, the current Ambassador has a background in environmental
issues.


9. (SBU) TO WHAT EXTENT HAVE YOUR COLLEAGUES IN OTHER EMBASSIES
SOUGHT YOU OUT TO DISCUSS THE CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUE OR CURRENT AND
PROSPECTIVE U.S. POLICY ON CLIMATE CHANGE?

There is a regular dialogue in Brasilia among interested embassies
about climate change and the Brazilian position, as well as the U.S.
position. The countries that have participated in this dialogue
recently are: the UK, Norway, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland,
France, Germany, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Australia, the European
Commission, Spain, Denmark, and Sweden. (See REFTEL D)

SOBEL