CLIMATE CHANGE: ITALIAN GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ROME 001415

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

EUR/PGI FOR D. TESSLER
EUR/WE FOR C. JESTER S. HARTMANN AND L. MCMANIS
STATE PASS TO NSC FOR C. CONNORS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV ENRG KGHG IT
SUBJECT: CLIMATE CHANGE: ITALIAN GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION

Refs: a) 11/14/08 Embassy Rome Daily Report, 11/18/08 EU EST Report
(notal) b) State 116939 (notal) c) Rome 1326 d) 9/26/08 Embassy
Rome Daily Report (notal)

ROME 00001415 001.6 OF 003



1. Sensitive But Unclassified - paragraphs as marked.


2. (SBU) Summary. Since the election of the Berlusconi Government
in April, 2008, and in light of Italy's 2009 G8 Presidency, the G8
Sous-Sherpa for Foreign Affairs has taken the Italian lead for the
Major Economies process. The European Policies Minister and an
inter-agency committee that he or Prime Minister Berlusconi chairs
also have taken on an important role in combining economic and
environmental concerns, reflected in Italy's current push for
changes in the European Union (EU) climate/energy package to lighten
the costs for Italian industry. While economic sustainability is a
new climate policy thrust for Italy, veteran experts from the
Environment Ministry continue to play a key role in Italian climate
policy, both in the Ministry and on loan to other government
entities. End summary.


3. (U) Ref b) requested information on organizational changes in
host governments over the past 12-18 months to deal both
internationally and domestically with climate change issues. The
responses below are keyed to ref b) questions.

--------------
Changes in Bureaucratic Structure
--------------

4: (SBU) Q: Has your host government altered its bureaucratic
structure for addressing climate change over the past 12-18 months?
If so, how? How might upcoming elections affect current policy
positions and entities?

A: Yes. The Government of Italy (GOI) first aimed at integrating
economic/energy and environmental concerns in climate policy through
the appointment in 2007 of a special Major Economies (ME) lead and
the creation of an inter-agency committee. Following the
installation of the Berlusconi Government in May, 2008, the Foreign
Ministry (MFA) G8 Sous-Sherpa for Foreign Affairs, the European
Policies Minister and an inter-agency committee on EU matters have
moved to the fore. In light of the Berlusconi Government's strong
majority in Parliament, Post does not anticipate early elections.
(New elections are not required under Italian electoral law until
April 2013.) Details of the GOI organizational changes and current
GOI climate negotiations with the EU are described below.

Major Economies Process Prompts First Re-organization
-------------- --------------


5. (SBU) In September 2007, in response to the USG request that
then-Prime Minister Prodi nominate a personal representative to head
Italy's delegation to the first Major Economies (ME) Meeting, Prof.
Valeria Termini was given that role. She continued to lead Italy's
participation in ME meetings, backed up by Foreign Ministry (MFA) G8
Sous-Sherpa Guido La Tella, until after the Berlusconi Government
took office in May 2008. Termini's nomination effectively placed
the lead for ME negotiations with the Prime Minister's office and
the Foreign Ministry, rather than with the Environment Ministry,
which has the Italian lead on United Nations climate negotiations.
It also provided a forum for coordination of economic and
environmental policies related to climate change, since Termini was
made Chair of an inter-agency technical-scientific committee for G8
energy and climate change issues, which included the Environment,
Economic Development (Energy),Trade and Economy Ministries. The
committee prepared a coordinated GOI position for the December 2007
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
negotiations. The Environment Minister served as the head of
delegation to the UNFCCC meeting, while Termini served as a lead
technical official.

Growing Role of G8, European Policies Officials...
-------------- --------------


6. (SBU) With the fall of the Prodi Government, Termini's role
gradually faded away, as apparently did the energy/climate
inter-agency committee. MFA Sous-Sherpa La Tella since has taken on
the role of lead Italian representative for the ME process. (See
ref c) for his views on potential 2009 ME meetings in Italy.) In
light of Italy's 2009 G8 Presidency, both La Tella and G8 Sherpa
Amb. Giampiero Massolo have set up G8 staffs, at the MFA and the
Prime Minister's office, respectively. Both of these offices have
experts on loan from the Environment Ministry and the private
sector, who will assist with G8 environmental and energy issues,
including climate change. In addition, in summer 2008 the MFA added

ROME 00001415 002.3 OF 003


responsibility for non-nuclear energy issues to the environment and
sustainable development portfolio held by Counselor Giovanna
Piccarreta.


7. (SBU) At the same time, European Policies Minister Andrea Ronchi
has emerged as the GOI's leading policy-level voice on the EU's
"20-20-20" climate-energy package. Ronchi has led a "road show"
around Europe, seeking support for Italy's requests for changes to
the package to reduce its cost for Italian industry, which the GOI
holds would cost Italy 40 percent more than the EU average. GOI
inter-agency discussions on the package, which have dominated
Italian climate-change policy-making in recent months, take place in
the Inter-Ministerial Committee for European Community Affairs,
CIACE (website:
http://www.politichecomunitarie.it/attivita/? c=ciace),which PM
Berlusconi or Minister Ronchi chairs. See ref d) for key changes
that Ronchi is seeking in the EU package.

...but Environment DG Clini is still key
--------------


8. (SBU) Minister for the Environment and Territory and Sea
Protection Stefania Prestigiacomo will head Italy's delegation to
the ministerial-level portion of the December UNFCCC negotiations in
Poznan, Poland, as did her predecessor in 2007. Environment
Director General Corrado Clini, who normally attends only the
ministerial UNFCCC session, but who is also Italy's technical lead
for negotiating with the EU Commission on the costs of the 20-20-20
package, will be in Poznan for the full December 1-12 meeting, in
order to be in close contact with all those involved in the EU
negotiations (ref a)). Although Minister Ronchi was quoted in the
press on November 11 as saying that Italy was likely to reach a
satisfactory agreement with the EU on the 20-20-20 package by
December 31, Post heard from a well-informed contact that same day
that the negotiations were still at a very difficult point. Italy
reportedly wants to avoid having PM Berlusconi block the package
with a veto, but has not yet achieved enough in the negotiations to
avoid that.

--------------
Washington advocacy on climate change
--------------


9. (SBU) Q: 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?

A: Italy has not changed its Washington representation on climate
change in the last 18 months. Long-time Italian Washington Embassy
Science Attache Giorgio Einaudi commented that he has not engaged in
recent climate-related outreach, because he has not received
guidance from Rome on the Berlusconi Administration views on the EU
climate/energy package and their relation (if any) to Italy's
position on global climate negotiations. He anticipates that he
will reach out to the new U.S. Administration on climate issues,
once there is clearer definition within the Berlusconi Government on
Italy's positions.

-------------- -
Contact from other embassies on climate change
-------------- -


10. (U) Q: 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?

A: SCICouns recently was contacted by an Australian diplomat, who
was seeking insight into the changes Italy is requesting in the EU
climate/energy package. SCICouns also has been invited to events
related to clean energy and climate at the Dutch and British
Embassies. (The British Embassy has an active Green Embassy
program, and has included Post Management Officers in their events.)
In early 2008, the British Consulate in Milan urged AmConsulate
Milan to formally endorse an "Energy-Saving Day" initiative,
launched by the hosts of an Italian radio program, to coincide with
the mid-February anniversary of the entry-into-force of the Kyoto
Protocol. While the Mission did not formally endorse the
initiative, the Embassy and three consulates did reduce lighting
where possible (the main Energy-Saving Day observance suggested).


11. (U) The Embassy also issued a press release highlighting the
Mission's Sustainability Initiative and noting the actions taken to
express support for energy-saving. A 13 February 2008 centerfold
piece on key foreign embassies in Rome, in leading business daily Il
Sole-24 Ore, featured an interview with Ambassador Spogli that

ROME 00001415 003.4 OF 003


included a description of the Mission's Sustainability Initiative.
(The British Ambassador was not interviewed.) The Initiative also
was featured in another story in leading daily Corriere della Sera;
Post continues to get inquiries. Note: Post recently joined the
League of Green U.S. Embassies. End note.
Spogli