ARGENTINA'S POSITION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BUENOS AIRES 001244 SENSITIVE SIPDIS OES/EGC FOR DREW NELSON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV KGHG ENRG EIND TRGY PREL AR SUBJECT: ARGENTINA'S POSITION ON CLIMATE CHANGE REF: BUENOS AIRES 00603 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: ESTOffs met on November 12 with the GOA's Climate Change Negotiator, Ambassador Silvia Merega, to ascertain Argentina's position and flexibility ahead of COP-15 in Copenhagen. From our conversation with Merega, it appears that the GoA's position is firmly in line with classic G-77 negotiating stances. The GoA seems unwilling at this time to commit to mitigation actions, pleading a lack of technology and funds to undertake serious efforts, though it appears that concrete outside financing might be a way to move the GoA to undertake specific mitigation commitments. Concerns over agricultural exports and emissions are dominant, leading to a focus on avoiding Border Tax Adjustments. Merega's tougher position may be the result of frustration with the slow pace of progress on climate financing mechanisms, an issue of primary importance to the Argentines (reftel). Post will report septel on a conversation with Oscar Estrada Oyuela, Argentina's long-time climate change negotiator, which sheds some light on the GoA's current stance. End Summary. -------------- "DON'T CHANGE THE RULES OF THE GAME" -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Argentina's lead climate change negotiator, Ambassador Silvia Merega, met with ESTHCouns and ESTHOff on November 12. Before a single question was asked, Merega insisted on laying out her perspective on the climate change negotiations, stating that the positions she would describe were not just those of Argentina, but of the entire G-77. Since most countries had ratified the Kyoto Protocol (KP),she said, KP should be the sensible starting point for any negotiations, and the distinction between Annex I and non-Annex I countries should be maintained. ¶3. (SBU) Merega admitted that she is pleased with President Obama's stated interest in advancing climate change negotiations. She feels, however, that developing countries are waiting for a strong U.S. commitment and are frustrated by U.S. unwillingness to negotiate without domestic legislation. Merega quickly blamed the USG (along with the EU, Japan, and Canada) for wanting to "change the rules of the game," a phrase she repeated several times during the conversation. She stressed that the existing Framework Convention is a solid agreement, noting specifically her belief that actions by non-Annex I countries should remain reviewable only if implemented with outside financing. She takes the U.S. position, commonly referred to as "common but differentiated obligations," to mean that "everyone must do something" and that the U.S. and EU will decide what actions each country must undertake. ¶4. (SBU) Merega stated that all the negotiating pressure is on China, India, and Brazil to alter their positions based on their individual situations. She is concerned that these countries, in turn, will pressure the G-77 to accept obligations not in the original Convention. Merega objected to placing any new obligations on developing countries when it is already clear that most Annex I countries will not have met their existing obligations under the KP by 2012. -------------- -------------- OPEN TO A POLITICAL AGREEMENT BUT NOT TO SCHEDULES -------------- -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Merega expressed a willingness to reach a political agreement at Copenhagen and to continue negotiations in 2010. But she was vehement that Argentina will not support any initiative that includes a schedule of required actions for developing countries. When specifically asked about the proposal of a BUENOS AIR 00001244 002 OF 003 schedule, she fell back on cultural differences, noting that while the developed world perceives schedules as "obligations," they are viewed by Argentines as mere "indicators." ¶6. (SBU) Merega said that the G-77 believes mitigation actions to be a purely domestic issue; therefore, countries should not be required even to declare their action plans. "The Bali Action Plan must be the basis for any agreement," she said, "and the current U.S./EU proposals violate that plan." When asked what the U.S. could do to help reach an agreement at Copenhagen, she said that the United States should "use its imagination" to abide by the Kyoto Protocol without ratifying it. -------------- AGRICULTURAL SECTOR OF TOP CONCERN -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Merega noted that Argentina is taking steps to mitigate emissions, including undertaking a national inventory and planning actions in different sectors. She highlighted a 30-year plan by the Energy Secretariat, legislation to protect native forests, a waste disposal policy, and an inventory of glaciers. She also noted that Argentina recently began work on its 3rd National Communication on Climate Change, which will be completed in 2011. "We are doing things," Merega said, adding that "we need money to do things, but don't want to be pressed to do A in B way in C amount of time." ¶8. (SBU) Merega highlighted the agricultural sector, which is responsible for 45% of Argentina's emissions, as particularly complex to reform. She said that Border Tax Adjustments/carbon taxes (BTA) are a significant concern for Argentina and that the application of BTA by developed countries would significantly hamper Argentina's agricultural exports. She insisted that BTA violate Article 3 of the Framework Convention, going so far as to read verbatim Article 3.5, stating that "measures taken to combat climate change, including unilateral ones, should not constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or a disguised restriction on international trade." ¶9. (SBU) Merega stressed that reducing emissions from agriculture was much more difficult than for other sectors, due to the difficulty of disseminating technology. When asked whether the proposal for a Global Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Research would help alleviate agricultural concerns, she said that Argentina was more amenable to the original New Zealand proposal than to the new joint U.S.-N.Z. proposal. Still, she called the current proposal "very interesting" and "a good starting point." Reforestation is also a sensitive issue in Argentina due to opposing interests from the agricultural sector. -------------- A LACK OF REGIONAL HARMONY -------------- ¶10. (SBU) Inside MERCOSUR, Merega said, environmental subjects are "very messy," with no cooperation of note. She thinks that generally, outside of the Caribbean countries, Latin American countries share many positions but have different negotiating tactics. She believes that Brazil is focused on its position as a major player with China and India, not as part of Latin America, while Venezuela, Ecuador, Cuba, and Bolivia form a separate block with their own interests. As for the rest of Latin America, she said, "we share positions, but have different perceptions." BUENOS AIR 00001244 003 OF 003 -------------- -------------- COULD FINANCING BE A WAY TO GAIN ARGENTINE SUPPORT? -------------- -------------- ¶11. (SBU) When pushed as to where she sees Argentina fit in the negotiations, Merega recognized that Argentina is not one of the big players, such as Brazil, India, and China. "We do not feel the same pressure Brazil feels, but we will see what happens in 10 years." She pleaded that Argentina does not have the technology or budget to undertake significant mitigation actions. She noted that Argentina is open to using international funding, which she acknowledged does trigger reporting and verification requirements. In her view, however, the existing system is sufficient and there is no need for a Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMA) schedule or a register. "Why should we be obliged to apply the same standards when we are using our own funds?" she asked. Merega initially gave no hint as to how the bridge could be gapped, but when ESTHCouns suggested that the GoA might be more amenable to a NAMA/schedule proposal if it were a condition for guaranteed financing, she stated that this would be a possibility. -------------- -------------- COMMENT: ROOM FOR NEGOTIATION, BUT NOT LEADERSHIP -------------- -------------- ¶12. (SBU) Our discussion with Ambassador Merega was notable for its lack of tangible positive negotiating points and requests. Merega dedicated many of her comments to complaints about the unfair U.S. and EU negotiating positions and arguments that Argentina should not have to make any commitments to mitigation. Our perception was that the GoA has placed itself firmly in the G-77 camp, with few ideas beyond traditional negotiating positions. Our impression was that Merega was frustrated with the slow pace of progress with climate financing, an issue of primary importance to Argentina (reftel). Merega's inflexibility wavered only when she was presented with the idea of concrete financing in exchange for developing country mitigation commitments. It seems that this carrot may be necessary for Argentina to consider "changing the rules of the game." End Comment. MARTINEZ MARTINEZ