CLIMATE CHANGE: AUSTRIA TO SUPPORT USG NOMINATION FOR IPCC WG II CO-CHAIR

UNCLAS VIENNA 001132 SIPDIS, SENSITIVE STATE FOR OES/EGC - DONNE LEE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS:KSCA KGHG, KSCA, SENV, AORC, AU SUBJECT: Climate Change: Austria to support USG Nomination for IPCC WG II Co-Chair REF: STATE 82698 THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION. ¶1. (SBU) Austria intends to support the U.S. nomination of Dr. Christopher Field. ¶2. (SBU) Embassy rep delivered reftel demarche to the Austrian Ministry for European and International Affairs on August 1, which recently held a coordination meeting on IPCC with the Austrian Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management and its division, the Federal Environment Agency. After the meeting, Christian Krepela (head of the Department for Environment, Transportation, Telecoms and Energy in the Ministry for European and International Affairs) told us informally that Austria will likely support the nomination of Dr. Christopher Field for the Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group II. The U.S. has always been on this working group and there is no good reason to change that, Krepela opined. ¶3. (SBU) The GoA's official position, which we expect to receive soon in writing, should officially confirm this support. GIRARD-DICARLO