SLOVENIA: U.S. CLIMATE CHANGE PROGRAM A

UNCLAS LJUBLJANA 000301 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR OES/EGC: WMOORE, AND EUR: MBEY, SPARKER-BURNS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KGHG SENV ENRG TRGY SUBJECT: SLOVENIA: U.S. CLIMATE CHANGE PROGRAM A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE; EU PROPOSAL HAS A LONG WAY TO GO BEFORE COPENHAGEN REF: SECSTATE 97542 ¶1. (SBU) On September 25, Pol/Econ Chief met Andrej Kranjc, Head of the Climate Protection Department in the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning to present reftel talking points. Kranjc acknowledged that the U.S. program represented a significant change from that of the previous U.S. administration. He did not disagree that the end result of the U.S. approach was comparable to the EU program, but noted that our emphasis on sustainable development may create the impression that reduction of green house gas emissions is a secondary objective. He said sustainable development on its own, without actual, measurable reductions of greenhouse gases would not solve the problem. That is why the EU approach focuses primarily on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, but acknowledges an important role for sustainable development and the transfer of clean energy technology. Pol/Econ Chief reiterated that a regulatory framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a key element of the U.S. proposal, and that targets in the Waxman-Markey legislation called for mandatory greenhouse gas reductions year-by-year through 2050 and applied to 85% of the U.S. economy. ¶2. (SBU) Responding to the U.S. call for presenting a united U.S./EU front in Copenhagen, especially with regard to major developing economies, Kranjc noted that just reaching a consensus position in the EU was proving difficult (he was departing for Bangkok for another round of negotiations later that same day). The problem, he said, is that the EU program was drafted by a series of committees, each taking a different section. So the task now was to take all these "separately drafted bits" and consolidate them into a coherent whole. Some EU members were calling for the use of the "old negotiation" approach in which all the committees join together to hammer out a final document. More recently, there had been calls for the need to first adopt rules for moving from the current drafting process to the "old negotiation" approach. Krancj lamented that the debate on this aspect alone could take a week. In addition, he said, the Swedish EU Presidency had been making statements that could only be characterized as "very pessimistic." The result, Kranjc said, is that there was more talk now amongst his colleagues in other EU member states that expectations for reaching any new agreement in Copenhagen should be lowered. Pol/Econ Chief reaffirmed that the U.S. was prepared to "reach a deal" in Copenhagen so long as its framework solidly linked low-carbon growth and sustainable development, and involved meaningful national actions by major emerging countries. ¶3. (SBU) Kranjc agreed that major emerging economies must be part of the solution, but did not comment on the U.S. proposal that other developing countries focus on low carbon development with financial and technical assistance from developed countries. Rather, he asked if the term "clean coal technology" for the U.S. always incorporates the use of carbon sequestration technologies. Pol/Econ Chief replied that the term was not restricted to carbon sequestration but also included technologies that could decrease emissions through boosting coal-fired power plant efficiencies. ¶4. (SBU) Post will follow up with Kranjc after he returns from Bangkok, and will use the opportunity of meetings scheduled next week to raise reftel points with MFA and other officials. FREDEN