CLIMATE CHANGE: JAPANESE MINISTRIES READY TO MOVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TOKYO 000034 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE PASS CEQ E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/06/2018 TAGS: ENRG KGHG SENV JA SUBJECT: CLIMATE CHANGE: JAPANESE MINISTRIES READY TO MOVE FORWARD TOKYO 00000034 001.2 OF 003 Classified By: CDA Joseph R. Donovan for reasons 1.4 (b)(d) ¶1. (C) Summary: High level climate players at MOFA, METI, and MOE remain positive on close cooperation with the U.S. in the Major Economies Process (MEP) and initiatives to address climate change. Those who attended the Bali meetings expressed exhaustion and concern over future challenges, with some suggesting there needs to be some time for tempers to cool. Special Advisor to the Cabinet for Climate Change Nishimura insisted many governments will want to retain the basic structure of Kyoto in any post-2012 framework and asked if the U.S. is not opposed to other governments continuing to have such targets, that we make that position clear. It is important, he said to make clear to other governments and the international public that the MEP is not an attempt to undercut the work being done in other fora. MOFA Director General Tsuruoka spoke at length about Japan's proposed clean technology fund, which he implied could be helpful in winning developing countries away from the EU, China and India. METI Director General Ito and his team appeared ready to forge ahead with the MEP and the Japan-led Energy Technology Working Group. MOE Director General Minamikawa and Counselor Yatsu detailed their efforts to promote the sectoral approach. End summary. ¶2. (C) Emboffs, CEQ Deputy Associate Director of International Affairs Landon Van Dyke, and CEQ Associate Coordinator for Energy Security and Climate, Michael Mills, met with officials in the Japanese Cabinet Office, Environment Ministry, METI, and MOFA December 18 to discuss Japanese reactions to the Bali UN Climate Meeting and to get their sense of the next steps needed. -------------- Nishimura: Kyoto Structure Must Remain -------------- ¶3. (C) Special Advisor to the Cabinet for Climate Change Mutsuyoshi Nishimura, who is the PM's personal representative on climate change and claimed a leading role in Japan's G8 strategy on climate issues, was the most pro-Kyoto of the interlocutors. He warned repeatedly that any structural change to the existing Kyoto Protocol would be a non-starter for developing countries and the EU when negotiating the post-Kyoto framework. "The U.S. must be clear (the MEP) is building on top of what we have or people will be confused." He asked if the U.S. had a hidden agenda to "revolutionize the whole scheme." ¶4. (C) Van Dyke assured him the U.S. sees the MEP as complementing existing structures and feeding into the UN process on climate. He explained the U.S. vision of the MEP as providing "tools" to tackle climate change that would be fed into the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) both during the "Bali-Roadmap" discussions in 2008 and at COP 14 in Poland. The Kyoto Protocol approach was one tool, but one that might not be right for every country. It is important for the international community to develop a fuller range of tools to tackle climate change and the issues accompanying it. Nishimura replied that "may be okay," but the question of binding vs. non-binding commitments would be a big element. Such elements will be debated over the next two years in the UNFCCC and the MEP should concentrate on near term deliverables. ¶5. (C) Nishimura repeated several times the need for developed countries to unite and the importance of the U.S. building trust with the EU. He cited the White House press release of December 15 in agreeing on the need to differentiate responsibilities among developing countries. He asked at what point would India and China be ready to move to annex 1 and binding commitments. ¶6. (C) Regarding near term actions, Nishimura advocates forming a "rapid action squadron" first aimed at achieving a stabilization in GHG emission. He said there is an urgent need for China to create a national plan to replace all its coal-fired power plants with those using advanced technology such as IGCC within five to seven years. In his vision, China would develop a plan, with the cost being shared among China and the international donor community. Along the way, the international community would work to solve problems such as technology transfer and financing mechanisms. TOKYO 00000034 002.2 OF 003 ¶7. (C) Highlighting what he called the "huge confusion within the GOJ," Nishimura complained "one segment (METI) tries to create something new without first consulting within the government." In another indication of diverging views within Japan, Nishimura said the Japanese business community was "enamored" with the President's May 31 speech and hoped the U.S. would come "rescue them from the dreadful Kyoto." -------------- MOE: On Board with Sectoral Approach -------------- ¶8. (C) MOE officials Director General for Global Environment Hideki Minamikawa and Counselor for Global Environment Dr. Ryutaro Yatsu shared similar concerns regarding bringing developing countries on board. Minamikawa said MOE advocates dividing developing countries into those with emerging economies and the "real" less developed countries. He expressed concern with the EU's advocacy of a per capita indicator and the EU's implied exclusion of India from the other BRICS. Japan, on the other hand, advocates sectoral carbon intensity indicators cutting across national lines. Yatsu said the MOE's advocacy of the sectoral approach is a concession to Japanese industry, which is concerned about international competitiveness. Minamikawa added that the sectoral approach and national caps are not mutually exclusive. -------------- METI: Ready to Engage -------------- ¶9. (C) METI Director General for Global Environmental Affairs Hajime Ito brought the entire METI climate and energy team to the meeting. The METI officials were quite positive toward the MEP. Ito mentioned the "synchronization" of the MEP and G8, and the idea of a "MEP sherpa" to handle G8 environment issues. Following Mr. Mills sketch of U.S. thoughts on the MEP working groups, METI officials expressed agreement with the "bottom-up" approach and advise saving debate on the long-term goal for the final MEM. As for the Clean Energy Technology Working Group meeting on January 29 in Honolulu, the GOJ wants to concentrate on innovative, transformative technology rather than on near term deliverables. However, in Honolulu they want to avoid getting into details and instead come up with a list of technology areas and an agenda for future meetings. This outcome would then be reported to the MEM plenary. Since the Working Group would only meet a few times, members should be carefully selected. Attendees would have to be able to discuss a broad range of technologies. -------------- MOFA: Funding with A Purpose -------------- ¶10. (C) MOFA Director General for Global Affairs, Ambassador Koji Tsuruoka focused on Japan's proposal for a clean technology fund. The Japanese fund will have two objectives: 1) currently available technology to address climate change mitigation and 2) funding for adaptation to climate change. To ensure the fund had an effective strategy, both in its actual application and how it was used geopolitically, it would have to be under control "other than the Ministry of Finance." Tsuruoka also noted, however, the MOF needed to create the fund in order for the money not to come out of MOFA's ODA budget. Funding for mitigation would go mostly to emerging economies he thought, and would fill the gap between commercial funding and actual cost. He also listed the deficiencies of the Global Environment Fund including the fact that GEF funding is not linked to any ongoing negotiation. ¶11. (C) Japan's fund would link funding to a country's international and national climate change policies. He was insistent the fund keep decision making power in the hands of donor countries. He allowed setting up such a fund would be difficult, but saw value in starting with the UK, the U.S., and Japan. Japan will draft terms of reference including a policy making platform and simple decision making process. The policy platform must be finished by the 2008 G8 Summit and have a "sweetener" for the smallest developing states. Countries applying to the fund would be required to have a national program to address climate change. The fund would TOKYO 00000034 003.2 OF 003 hold detailed consultations with the applicant to determine what projects to fund. ¶12. (C) Tsuruoka also emphasized the divide he sees between emerging market and small developing countries. The developing countries know China and India will be the major sources of GHG emissions, he said, and are "fed up" with the emerging economies leadership of the G77. While these countries, especially small island states, favor numerical targets, he thinks there is an opportunity to win them away from China, India, and the EU. This thinking is a factor in Japan's intention to do more funding for adaptation to climate change, since such funding would directly benefit many of these small countries. ¶13. (U) CEQ Deputy Associate Director Van Dyke cleared this cable subsequent to his return to Washington. DONOVAN