Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ROME1510
2008-12-14 02:23:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Rome
Cable title:  

Update on 2009 G8 Environment Ministerial and Related

Tags:  SENV ENRG KGHG OREP EFIN PBTS XV IT 
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DE RUEHRO #1510/01 3490223
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R 140223Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1301
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEHNP/AMCONSUL NAPLES 3495
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ROME 001510 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

EUR/PGI FOR D. TESSLER
EUR/WE FOR C. JESTER AND S. HARTMANN
STATE PASS TO NSC FOR C. CONNORS
H FOR CONNIE AUSTIN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV ENRG KGHG OREP EFIN PBTS XV IT
SUBJECT: Update on 2009 G8 Environment Ministerial and Related
Meetings; Possible U.S. Congress-Italy Cooperation on Small Island
States' Adaptation to Climate Change

Refs: A) 12/10/08 Preston-Tessler e-mail B) Rome 1465 (notal) C)
State 126552 (notal) D) State 125841 (notal) E) Rome 1415 F) Rome
1327

ROME 00001510 001.2 OF 003


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ROME 001510

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

EUR/PGI FOR D. TESSLER
EUR/WE FOR C. JESTER AND S. HARTMANN
STATE PASS TO NSC FOR C. CONNORS
H FOR CONNIE AUSTIN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV ENRG KGHG OREP EFIN PBTS XV IT
SUBJECT: Update on 2009 G8 Environment Ministerial and Related
Meetings; Possible U.S. Congress-Italy Cooperation on Small Island
States' Adaptation to Climate Change

Refs: A) 12/10/08 Preston-Tessler e-mail B) Rome 1465 (notal) C)
State 126552 (notal) D) State 125841 (notal) E) Rome 1415 F) Rome
1327

ROME 00001510 001.2 OF 003



1. (U) Summary. Italian environment and foreign affairs officials
described to visiting StaffDel Williams current plans for G8 and
related environmental meetings, leading up to the G8 Environment
Ministerial now scheduled for April 22-24, 2009. The StaffDel
expressed strong interest in Italy's cooperation with the
Association of Small Island States (AOSIS) on adaptation to climate
change, and proposed that the Chair of the House Foreign Affairs
Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and the Global Environment
participate in a January meeting of the cooperation partners, to be
held in New York. Italian officials welcomed U.S. participation in
the project. See paras 3-5 for comments on timing and substance of
the G8 Environment Ministerial, and paras 4-6 for discussion of the
AOSIS cooperation project. End summary.


2. (U) Lisa Williams, Staff Director for the House Foreign Affairs
Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and the Global Environment, and
subcommittee staff colleagues Vili Lei and David Richmond, visited
Rome December 3-12 to discuss climate change cooperation between the
U.S. and Italy, and to discuss with the Holy See the consequences of
climate change on vulnerable societies (refs C and D). They met
with Italian, Holy See, and Vatican City-State environment and
foreign affairs officials and experts (ref B).

-------------- --
Update on G8 and related environmental meetings
-------------- --


3. (SBU) During their meetings with the StaffDel, Government of
Italy (GOI) officials provided the following update on plans for G8
and related environmental meetings, leading up to the G8 Environment
Ministerial now scheduled to be held April 22-24, 2009 in Siracusa,

Sicily (ref F).

-- The Environment Ministry is tentatively planning to hold a
preparatory meeting for the Environment Ministerial in Rome on March
9, 2009. It is possible that a meeting of Major Economies (ME)
negotiators on Energy Security and Climate Change could be held
before or after the preparatory meeting, if the U.S. and key ME
partners would find that useful (see also refs E and F).

-- If necessary, a second Ministerial preparatory meeting could be
held in early April, but Italy would prefer to avoid this.

-- Italy plans to host a meeting in Trieste in early April to follow
up on Japan's 2008 G8 initiative for establishment of a network of
scientific institutions studying ways to transition to low-carbon
societies (refs A and F). This could be an opportunity for informal
consultations prior to the G8 Environment Ministerial. Italy
supports Japan's initiative, and would welcome U.S. participation in
the network. Environment officials asked if the U.S. plans to
designate any U.S. scientific institution to participate in the
network.


4. (SBU) Environment Ministry experts Federica Fricano and Gloria
Visconti sketched out the following vision for the Environment
Ministerial:

Day 1 (half day)
--------------

Discussion of the availability and deployability of technology to
reduce carbon emissions, including financing of this deployment,
drawing from data on the cost of different options included in a
recent International Energy Agency report, and taking into account
the impact of the current financial crisis.

The Ministry is thinking of inviting World Bank and private sector
representatives to participate in this session. However, this
appears to be in very early stages of planning; Foreign Ministry
(MFA) Deputy Director General for Multilateral Economic and
Financial Cooperation Claudio Spinedi, who has personal
responsibility for international financial institution issues, told
the StaffDel that he was not aware of this proposal. He added that
World Bank representatives had visited Rome recently to reach out to
the GOI regarding the Bank's possible roles in G8 and related
meetings which Italy will host in 2009; the GOI did not yet have any
concrete proposals in mind, but would remain in contact with the
Bank as plans develop.

ROME 00001510 002.2 OF 003



Day 2 (full day)
--------------

In the morning, discussion of climate change based on a report that
the Environment Ministry will draft, which will not/not be a
negotiating text. The report would describe trends and emission
scenarios, the point of departure of different countries, and the
possible options (national targets, the sectoral approach,
burden-sharing). The discussion would include topics such as
different countries' positions, and solutions to bridge the distance
between them, including a possible post-Kyoto framework.
Participants would include the G8, plus the five outreach countries
and the European Union, plus the three remaining ME countries (South
Korea, Indonesia and Australia),and possibly Egypt.

The afternoon will be dedicated to biodiversity topics, as yet
undefined. The MFA's Spinedi said that both water and forests are
on the list of possible topics for the G8 Summit itself, but that
water is higher on the list. He also noted the difficulties of
coordinating the G8 and ME meetings with the United Nations climate
negotiating schedule.

The Chair's Summary of Days 1 and 2 will not be a negotiating text,
the Environment Ministry officials stressed. However, they
confirmed that it will be a "consensus document," permitting
substantive objections to be reflected. The Day 2 morning
discussion would follow from the outcome of the Poznan United
Nations climate talks, and would be an opportunity to advance
understanding and provide inputs to the climate negotiations
process, Fricano said, but she emphasized that the GOI has no
intention of pushing for concrete agreement on mid-term
greenhouse-gas reduction targets or other commitments. Of course,
"If ideas emerge during the discussion" they can be reflected in the
Chair's summary, she said.

Day 3 (half day)
--------------

Wrap-up session and discussion of the Chair's Summary, followed by a
press conference.


--------------
Cooperation with AOSIS on climate adaptation
--------------


5. (U) The StaffDel was delighted to learn from Dr. Antonio
Navarra, Director of Italy's Euro-Mediterranean Climate Change
Center (CMCC),that the GOI has an agreement with the Association of
Small Island States (AOSIS) to assist them with research and
training in seasonal weather forecasting and tropical cyclone
prediction, a key aspect of climate change adaptation. The
cooperation project is financed by the Foreign Ministry (MFA) and
implemented by the Environment Ministry and CMCC, which has an
agreement with the Environment Ministry to support it in
international cooperation activities. Italy has allocated 8 million
euros to the project, which has been going on for at least five
years. Dr. Navarra and a colleague from Vanuatu chair the project's
joint steering group, which will meet in New York in mid-January
(likely January 16).


6. (U) Ms. Williams proposed that Subcommittee Chair Rep. Eni
Faleomavaega address the January steering group meeting. She noted
his abiding interest in increasing U.S. assistance to vulnerable
societies and small island states to help them deal with the impact
of climate change, and suggested that there might be opportunities
in the future for the U.S. to participate in the Italy-AOSIS
project. Both Dr. Navarra and the Environment Ministry's Gloria
Visconti welcomed U.S. interest in the project, saying they could
envision a trilateral arrangement for it, building on the existing
U.S.-Italy climate science and technology partnership. (Austria and
the City of Milan also are partners in the cooperation agreement
with AOSIS.) The MFA's Spinedi noted that adaptation of small
island states to climate change is Italy's top priority for
assistance in the environment and natural resources area. (The
other priorities in this area are forests, combating
desertification, and water.) He also stated that Italy is open to
other donors' participation in the project, so as to enlarge its
impact.


7. (U) StaffDel Williams did not have the opportunity to clear this

ROME 00001510 003.2 OF 003


cable before departing Post.

Spogli