BRAZIL AND FRANCE ANNOUNCE COMMON POSITION ON UN FRAMEWORK

UNCLAS BRASILIA 001322

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA/BSC, OES/EGC, SECC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV KSCA KGHG ENRG BR
SUBJECT: BRAZIL AND FRANCE ANNOUNCE COMMON POSITION ON UN FRAMEWORK
CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE NEGOTIATIONS
(U) THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED AND NOT FOR INTERNET
DISTRIBUTION.


1. (SBU) During their meeting in Paris on November 14, Brazilian
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (Lula) and French President
Nicholas Sarkozy issued a joint press release detailing their two
governments' common position on the upcoming UN Framework Convention
on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations. Through this joint
position, the two presidents hope that their countries can act as a
bridge between the developed and developing nations in these
negotiations.


2. (SBU) Highlights of this joint position include a 50% reduction
in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by the year 2050 using a 1990
baseline (the USG is currently using the year 2005 as a baseline);
keeping the global temperature increase within a range of 2 degrees
Celsius; need for comparable and ambitious goals between the Annex I
(developed) nations and Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions
(NAMAs) for the developing nations; co-equal importance of
mitigation and adaptation, specifically for the least developed
countries and small island developing states; the need for increased
public financing in addition to proposed methods for private sector
finance; support for Reducing Emissions through Deforestation and
forest Degradation mechanisms(REDD); and the creation of
international centers for the sharing of experiences and
technologies required to reduce carbon emissions.


3. (SBU) The statement outlines the role that "sustainable biofuels"
can play in reducing carbon emissions, though it does not define
"sustainable biofuels". (NOTE: In the past some Government of
Brazil (GOB) interlocutors have drawn a distinction between
sugarcane and corn based ethanol, indicating that only the former is
truly sustainable. END NOTE.) The joint position also highlights
the importance of South-South cooperation on forest management;
specifically in the area of remote sensing and earth observation.


4. (SBU) Finally, both countries issue a call for the UNFCCC
negotiators to affirm in Copenhagen the need for a new international
organization dedicated to environmental protection and sustainable
development. They believe that this organization could be
established at the Rio+20 conference, which is being planned for
2012 in Rio de Janeiro.


5. (SBU) COMMENT. It appears that Brazil found in France a
developed nation partner to help it take on the "bridge" or
dealmaker position that it has been seeking. For its part, the
joint statement shows that France was able to get some concession
from the Brazilians as well. Specifically, the statement indicates
that the GOB has accepted the idea of a peak year for developed
nations and language involving technology transfer that does not
discuss suspending or breaking intellectual property rights for
green technologies. The emphasis placed on south-south cooperation
may also provide more room for the USG to undertake triangular
technical cooperation with the GOB in the area of climate change; a
topic that will be discussed at the U.S. - Brazil Joint Commission
Meeting on Science and Technology on November 19 and 20 in
Washington, DC. END COMMENT.

KUBISKE