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