DANISH PM CALLS FOR POLITICAL AGREEMENT AT COP-15,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COPENHAGEN 000486 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR S/SECC, OES, EUR/NB E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KGHG PGOV PREL DA SUBJECT: DANISH PM CALLS FOR POLITICAL AGREEMENT AT COP-15, LAUNCHES "COPENHAGEN COMMITMENT CIRCLE" REF: A) Dollinger-Beh email 10/29 COPENHAGEN 00000486 001.2 OF 002 (U) SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED--NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION. ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Danish PM Lars Loekke Rasmussen delivered a speech on climate change to legislators from the G-8 and major developing countries gathered in Copenhagen on October 24 for an inter-parliamentary event. Rasmussen laid out a vision of a 'politically binding' agreement at COP-15 which could take immediate effect, followed by a more detailed legally binding UNFCCC agreement in future. He also announced the launch of a "Copenhagen Commitment Circle (CCC)," comprising a select group of leaders to coordinate their efforts in favor of the twin-goal approach. We have not been approached at the Embassy to seek high level U.S. involvement in the CCC. The first DVC among leaders participating in the CCC took place on October 29, between Prime Minister Rasmussen, President Calderon of Mexico, Prime Minister Rudd of Australia, and UNSYG Ban Ki Moon. PM Rasmussen will visit Moscow on November 2 for discussions with PM Putin including climate change. End Summary. ¶2. (U) The PM's October 24 speech was before the Global GLOBE is the Global Legislators Organization for a Balanced Environment (GLOBE),founded in 1989. GLOBE consists of senior cross-party members of parliament from all G8 countries and Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa. The U.S. GLOBE delegation to this meeting was led by Rep. Edward Markey, who issued a report of GLOBE's international commission on climate and energy security, which he chairs, outlining shared legislative priorities on climate and energy security (available at http://copenhagen.globeinternational. org/globe_legislators_forum/speakers.aspx). For the full text of the PM's speech before the GLOBE group, see: http://www.stm.dk/_p_12969.html. ¶3. (U) Selected Text of PM's Speech: On this basis, I suggest that we lock in the determination to act already by Copenhagen and seek political commitments for immediate implementation. I believe that all the key components of the deal can be achieved in Copenhagen. In order to achieve this, the Copenhagen Agreement should be ambitious; it should be binding and it should be concrete. It should build on the principles established by the existing legal framework, most notably the principle of a common but differentiated responsibility. It should capture and encourage the contributions individual countries are willing to undertake within all areas of the Bali Road Map, including specific and binding commitments on mitigation and finance. In the context of immediate action, significant up front finance for both early mitigation and adaptation efforts of the poorest and most vulnerable countries will be of particular importance. In order to ensure transparency and that the individual countries are standing behind their commitments and deliver on their promises, we shall also need a system of measurement, reporting and verification. This is the agreement we must reach. It will both provide guidance for our lawyers to finalize the details of the internationally legal binding agreement and for world leaders to commit to specific immediate action, starting January 2010. In this way, Copenhagen could provide for immediate action based on a comprehensive set of binding, political commitments from world leaders. The Copenhagen Agreement would thus serve two purposes: 1) to direct further negotiations towards concluding outstanding details in a new legal climate regime; 2) to capture and encourage political commitment in order to provide for immediate action to combat global warming. Political commitment to immediate action will also serve to focus and strengthen the negotiations on the legal agreement. It is important that these two purposes will merge in one decision at COP15. Process COPENHAGEN 00000486 002.2 OF 002 In the coming weeks, I will systematically seek to engage a growing number of leaders. Let us call it "The Copenhagen Commitment Circle." Our joint goal should be to keep the momentum high in order to reach agreement on a binding, global agreement in Copenhagen and make sure we can start implementing it immediately. I call on every one of you present here today as well as every leader around the world to engage to make this vision reality. With the expected progress in the coming weeks, we shall pave the way for leaders to meet in Copenhagen in order to seal the deal. ¶4. (SBU) In a subsequent non-paper shared with USEU (REF A),the Danes explained the CCC initiative further: An ambitious politically binding agreement The UNSG High Level Event in New York, 22 September has strengthened the engagement of Heads of State and Government. Leaders have clearly indicated their commitment to conclude a new global climate agreement in Copenhagen in December. There seems to be an unprecedented political momentum. We should seize this opportunity and make a common effort to achieve an ambitious agreement with immediate impact. This agreement should serve two purposes embodied in a decision of the conference: First of all to provide guidance and timeframe for the UNFCCC negotiations on the new legal climate agreement - negotiations that will stretch beyond COP 15 itself. Secondly, to constitute a political binding agreement that would enter into force immediately and hence provide for immediate action to combat global warming. The political binding agreement should aim to secure that global warming does not exceed two degrees C and must cover all the Bali building blocks, including emission commitments and actions, finance, technology, and adaptation and enhance them as far as possible. The Copenhagen Commitment Circle To reach our objective there is a need for support and involvement at the highest political level. The Danish Prime Minister has therefore launched "The Copenhagen Commitment Circle." This initiative will initially bring together a small core group of dedicated Heads of State and Government and the UN Secretary-General that are committed to the twin approach (guidance for continued negotiations within UNFCCC and agreement on immediate implementation). They will meet on a weekly basis by videoconference to continuously assess progress in negotiations leading to COP15 and to exchange views on how to further advance these with a view to building momentum at the highest political level. Meetings will be chaired by the Danish Prime Minister. The first meeting was held on 28 October 2009 with the participation of the UN Secretary-General, the Prime Minister of Australia and the President of Mexico. The objective of the Copenhagen Commitment Circle will be to capture the engagement of a growing number of leaders for the twin approach and to build common understanding on the way ahead based also on the specific commitments that countries are willing to undertake as part of an ambitious agreement in Copenhagen. Therefore, the circle will gradually widen and should eventually pave the way for leaders to meet in Copenhagen to seal the deal. ¶5. (SBU) The Office of the Prime Minister confirmed on 10/30 that the first digital video conference between participants in the CCC had taken place on 10/29, and included PM Rasmussen, President Calderon of Mexico, PM Rudd of Australia, PM Stoltenberg of Norway, and UNSYG Ban Ki Moon. The DVC format would be repeated weekly, and expanded to include new participants as they join. The intention is to coordinate and share views on how to advance the "twin goal approach" outlined by PM Rasmussen in his speech. ¶6. (SBU) The PM's Office has confirmed that PM Rasmussen will visit Moscow on November 2 to meet with PM Putin for discussions including COP-15. Rasmussen's staff would not confirm whether PM Rasmussen will invite Putin to join the CCC. FULTON