Climate Change Advisor Alvarez Outlines Priorities

UNCLAS MANILA 000789 SIPDIS EAP FOR AWYCKOFF BANGKOK FOR REO HHOWARD AND RDMA WBOWMAN USAID EGAT FOR JHESTER, WBREED; ANE for JWILSON, MMELNYK; MTS/MLS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV EAID TPHY TSPL RP SUBJECT: Climate Change Advisor Alvarez Outlines Priorities Ref: Manila 00248 ¶1. USAID and Economic Officers met with Secretary Heherson Alvarez, the Presidential Advisor for Climate Change Affairs, on April 13 to discuss Philippine climate change attitudes and initiatives; brief him on USAID environmental (and, especially, climate change-related) projects; and establish a cooperative relationship as international climate change negotiations intensify. ¶2. Alvarez, who delivered a speech at the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change talks in Bonn, Germany focused on concern about increasingly intense storms, said he had been impressed by U.S. Special Envoy Todd Stern's remarks in Bonn. He will be the Philippine representative to upcoming climate change talks and welcomes coordination and cooperation with the U.S. ¶3. Alvarez seemed determined to increase Filipinos' awareness of climate change. Two recent Executive Orders have given him and his office the central role in coordinating climate change policy in the Philippines, but he does not yet have a budget to fully staff his office which presently has a staff of 20. He said that President Arroyo continues to hold Friday meetings to plan for mitigation and adaptation (reftel). ¶4. Alvarez is a Harvard graduate with two U.S. citizen children. Our meeting with him confirmed our expectation that the Philippine Government will be open to discussions and coordination of positions as we continue to articulate U.S. policy leading to the UNFCCC conference in Copenhagen in December. KENNEY