COLOMBIA INCREASES FOCUS ON CLIMATE CHANGE IN

UNCLAS BOGOTA 000294 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV PGOV CO SUBJECT: COLOMBIA INCREASES FOCUS ON CLIMATE CHANGE IN LEAD-UP TO COPENHAGEN COP ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. Despite accounting for less than 0.3 percent of global emissions, the Colombian Ministry of Environment (MOE) has placed increasing priority on climate change issues due to growing concerns of the impact on Colombia,s glaciers, coastal plains, and biodiversity. The MOE has increased the budget of its Office of Climate Change Mitigation (OCCM) by 400 percent in 2008 and added staff. Environment Minister Juan Lozano told us the OCCM exists directly under his management, given the importance of the issue. The new resources have enabled the OCCM to develop Colombia's first National Climate Change Policy, promote Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects, and aspire for a larger role in United Nations Climate Change (UNFCCC) discussions. The GOC plans to issue a point-by-point Colombia position paper well in advance of December's COP in Copenhagen. Much of this invigorated effort may be attributed to the personal efforts of Minister Lozano, and it is unclear whether this commitment is shared by his more powerful colleagues in the GOC bureaucracy . END SUMMARY. Low Overall Emissions -------------- ¶2. (SBU) With hydroelectric projects providing 70 percent of Colombia's power, Colombia accounts for 0.24 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Emissions are low per capita and per unit of GDP. According to Klaus Schutze of Colombia's Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM),agriculture ranks as the single biggest GHG emitting sector in Colombia, due to inefficient farming practices. As for methane, 80 percent of emissions come from coal mining and exploration. Regardless, Colombia's GHG emissions remain among the lowest in the region and below those of Brazil, Mexico and Argentina. Lozano told EconCouns that contributing to mitigation efforts is a GOC priority, even though Colombia considers itself a "victim" of climate change. Climate Change Effects Significant -------------- ¶3. (SBU) According to Maria Cristina Duran, Environmental Program Director of Colombia's Science & Technology Research Institute (Colciencias),GOC research forecasts climate change will most negatively impact Colombia's Andean mountain regions (including glaciers, forests and wetlands) and coastal areas. In Colombia's First Kyoto Communication in 2001, the GOC targeted those two specific ecosystems as most vulnerable. Duran said that since 1980 Colombia's seven remaining glaciers have reduced in size by approximately 2.5 percent each year, while rising sea levels threaten coastal populations and harm marine life. The melting of glaciers also reduces the reserves available for the hydroelectric plants Colombia relies upon. Duran stated that Colciencias increased its number of climate change/natural disaster research grants to 16 in 2008 (an increase of 60 percent since 2007) to gather more impact data, but acknowledged the need for much more research given the immensity of the subject. MOE Dramatically Increases Funding For Climate Change -------------- ¶4. (SBU) To address the aforementioned problems, the MOE has increased the budget of its Office of Climate Change Mitigation (OCCM) by 400 percent and hired eight new officers during 2008. Lozano told EconCouns that climate change was a top priority for the MOE, with the OCCM situated directly under his management. He said the MOE was striving to increase engagement on the issue from all GOC ministries, as the GOC could not ask other countries to take steps to promote mitigation that it was not doing itself. The MOE created the OCCM with three officers in 2002, but according to OCCM Director Andrea Guerrero the MOE barely had funds to pay those salaries and none for program costs. Guerrero now says the office has adequate funding to support new outreach and project initiatives. She attributes the new prioritization of climate change issues to Lozano's focus and the global attention focused on the issue. Schutze cautioned, however, that while high level interest in climate change had definitely increased, education and concern amongst the general population is still minimal. New Climate Change Policy In 2009 -------------- ¶5. (SBU) In addition to dedicating more resources, the MOE plans to announce a new national climate change policy soon. This policy, which Colombia's 2006-2010 National Development Plan mandated the MOE to create, is now with Colombia's Planning Ministry (DNP) for approval. The policy lays out mitigation and adaptation requirements for the five sectors listed in Annex A to the Kyoto Protocol: energy, industrial processes, waste management, solvent and other product use, and agriculture. No such climate policy nor law presently exists in Colombia. Lozano said the policy will establish the institutional framework to centralize the issue amongst all GOC ministries, with the MOE as the leading institution. The policy will institutionally mandate the involvement of all cabinet offices. Lozano was optimistic that DNP will approve the policy by early 2009, despite possible push-back from the Ministry of Mines & Energy, with other ministry approvals completed by mid-2009. Clean Development Mechanism Projects Take Root -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Meanwhile, the MOE is advancing 109 Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects across the five Kyoto Protocol Annex A sectors. Colombia currently has 32 registered CDM projects (including nationally and UN registered projects),up from 17 in 2007. The remaining 77 are approved projects in the initiation stage. Energy comprises 35 percent of the projects, primarily focused on hydroelectric initiatives. Guerrero stated that Colombia ranks fourth in Latin America in the number of CDM-approved projects. The OCCM began weekly consultations with industry in September 2008 to bring more companies on board, increase the number of functioning CDM projects and to acquire industry input on policy. Guerrero believes that recent OCCM efforts to make industry aware of Colombia,s tax exemption for GHG reduction technologies is one of the reasons CDM projects have increased rapidly during the past year. Striving To Be Heard In Kyoto Discussions -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Four representatives from Colombia, including Lozano, attended the December 2008 UN Climate Change Convention in Poland. Guerrero told us that in the past she was the only official to travel to international meetings, but that Lozano now plans to participate in all high-level climate change negotiations. Due to their increased resources and expertise, the OCCM aspires to move Colombia toward taking a more vocal and powerful role within UNFCCC discussions. Lozano stated, however, that the size and diverse nature of the G-77 limits the GOC from having negotiating power, especially vis-a-vis larger players such as Brazil, China, India and South Africa. He added that the Latin American bloc (GRULAC) is not unified and is unable to present a common front within G-77 discussions. When asked who Colombia's closest allies are in the UNFCCC, he responded that "we have no consistent allies; they shift depending upon the particular issue." Disappointed With Poznan, But Looking Ahead To Copenhagen -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Lozano told us that he was frustrated by the lack of progress at Poznan, recognizing that it was difficult to expect significant progress during the U.S. political transition. Guerrero said that Colombia was concerned over the stalemate on the adaptation fund, particularly developed country resistance toward instituting levies on Joint Implementation and Emissions Trading projects as a source of additional revenue for the fund. Lozano indicated that the GOC tactic would be to issue a detailed policy paper on every key Copenhagen issue well in advance of the COP. He believes that this will not only provide clarity to the GOC position, but will allow Colombia to wield more influence in G-77 discussions. Guerrero said adaptation financing, as well as reducing emissions from deforestation and technology transfer, would be their key Copenhagen issues. COMMENT: Noble Intentions, But is the Rest of Government on Board? -------------- ¶9. (SBU) As evidenced by the increase in resources and initiatives, climate change has become an important policy focus for the MOE. In great part, the new resources, personnel, and attention stem directly from Lozano's personal involvement. Lozano's goal is to increase the GOC, not simply the MOE, emphasis on climate change. Climate has not traditionally been a priority issue for the GOC (witness the size of their negotiating team),and it is unclear whether Loazno's enthusiasm is shared much beyond MOE walls. Since there has been no interagency process for determining climate policy, Lozano has been able to move forward aggressively under the radar. As he tries to extend the reach of Colombian climate policy, we expect that he will run into resistance from more heavyweight ministries such as Defense, Finance, Trade and Agriculture. BROWNFIELD