VIETNAM'S STRATEGY FOR COPENHAGEN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMEMBASSY HANOI 001246 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MLS EAP/EP OES/EGC OES/STC STATE PASS TO USAID FOR ANE G/ENV EGAT/ESP EPA FOR OIA (MARK KASMAN) STATE PASS TO NOAA/NOS/OIA (JONATHAN JUSTI) USDA FOR FOREST SERVICE/INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS (CYNTHIA MACKIE AND ELIZABETH LEBOW) INTERIOR FOR U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY (GREG SMITH) BANGKOK PASS TO RDMA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV ENRG ECON KGHG VM SUBJECT: VIETNAM'S STRATEGY FOR COPENHAGEN REF: STATE 670; STATE 1088 ¶1. Please see paragraph 7 for Action Request. ¶2. (SBU) Summary: The Government of Vietnam (GVN) intends to play a more active role during the upcoming fifteenth Conference of the Parties under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 15) in Copenhagen next month. While Vietnam will not publicly break with the G77, it will urge all large emitters regardless of development status to commit to emissions reductions and will urge the developed world to fund some, but not all, costs associated with developing world adaptation and mitigation responses. At Copenhagen, Vietnam would like to set up meetings for Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, who is leading its delegation, with President Obama or the leader of the U.S. delegation, and for Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Pham Khoi Nguyen. End Summary. Vietnam Wants All Major Emitters to Commit to Reductions -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Pham Van Tan, the Deputy Director for International Cooperation within the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MONRE) and a member of the GVN climate change negotiating team, told Emboff that the GVN would urge all large emitters, regardless of development status, to commit to cuts in emissions during the upcoming COP 15 in Copenhagen. Though the GVN will not single out China by name, Vietnam includes its northern neighbor as a large emitter in this formulation. At the same time, concerned about relations with "Big Brother," Vietnam does not want the United States or the EU publicly to highlight this inclusion of China during the Copenhagen discussions. (Note: The GVN provided a similar briefing to the Spanish and Swedish Ambassadors to Vietnam on behalf of the EU). Vietnam hopes that the Kyoto Protocol may be revised to require specific emissions cuts from non-Annex I countries and that the United States will then sign on to this amended document. Vietnam Will Urge Developed World to Fund Some, But not All of Developing World Climate Change Response -------------- -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The GVN does not support the rigid Group of 77 position that the developed world must provide adaptation and mitigation technology transfer free of charge, which it does not find realistic. Though Vietnam believes that climate change is largely due to historical emissions from the developed world, every country is responsible for implementing solutions. At Copenhagen, the GVN publicly will urge that the developed world provide some level of assistance to developing countries based upon the severity of likely impacts from climate change (Note: not coincidentally, experts agree that Vietnam will be among the countries most affected by sea level rise). At the same time, the GVN will note that it does not expect the developed world to fully fund climate change responses from the developing world. Vietnam not Optimistic for Copenhagen Breakthrough -------------- -------------- ¶5. (SBU) The Vietnamese negotiation team left the recent Barcelona discussions feeling pessimistic about chances for substantial progress in Copenhagen. Though Vietnam felt that obtaining general agreement on which concept papers to present at COP15 was a minor success, it noted that the different factions had yet to reach any agreement on what the concept papers should contain and was not optimistic that the parties would reach such consensus by next month. HANOI 00001246 002 OF 002 Vietnam Will Be More Active in Copenhagen -------------- ¶6. (SBU) While acknowledging that Vietnam to date has not played an active role in global meetings, Tan noted that the Vietnamese delegation intends to be more pro-active in Copenhagen. Consistent with general, conservative GVN decision-making processes, in the past, Vietnam has studied the differences between the positions of the developed and developing country blocs. Based on these studies, GVN climate change negotiators developed a strategy for COP 15, which they have submitted throughout the GVN for approval. The Prime Minister generally has approved the recommendations that the GVN play a more active role in Copenhagen, that it urge all major emitters to commit to emission cuts and that it seek measured contributions from the developed world. Over the next few weeks, the GVN will update and refine these positions, with few expected changes. High-level Vietnamese Delegation -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Tan again noted that Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung will lead the Vietnamese delegation to Copenhagen with MONRE Minister Pham Khoi Nguyen serving as deputy delegation head (Ref B). At a climate change conference earlier this month, GVN officials stated that the rest of the delegation would consist of leaders from the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Vietnam's technical delegation will be led by a director general from MONRE. Vietnamese delegates in Copenhagen will attend and make presentations at seminars on commitments of parties not subject to Annex I, revision of the Kyoto Protocol, commitment to post- 2012 emission reduction by parties not subject to Annex 1, technological transfer, and capacity building for climate change adaptation and mitigation and financial issues. With support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, Vietnam will also organize a sideline conference on "Vietnam's response to climate change." Action Request: Bilateral Meetings -------------- ¶8. (SBU) The GVN has asked whether the head of the USG delegation can meet with Prime Minister Dung during the COP and, if not, whether a suitable high-level USG representative can meet with MONRE Minister Nguyen. Both men will arrive in Copenhagen on December 14 and depart on December 18 Michalak