CHARGE BURLEIGH ENGAGES INDIAN SPECIAL ENVOY FOR CLIMATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 000777

SENSITIVE
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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV TRGY PREL ECON KGHG IN
SUBJECT: CHARGE BURLEIGH ENGAGES INDIAN SPECIAL ENVOY FOR CLIMATE
CHANGE SHYAM SARAN


1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph 10.

2. (U) SUMMARY: In a wide-ranging meeting on April 14, 2009,
Charge Burleigh discussed climate change, renewable energy, nuclear
non-proliferation, and next steps for the Indo-U.S. Civil Nuclear
Agreement with Indian Special Envoy for Climate Change and Civil
Nuclear Affairs Shyam Saran. Saran shared India's interest in
collaborating on renewable energy as well as issues India plans to
raise at the April 27-28 Major Economies Forum on Energy and
Climate. Details of the non-proliferation and civil nuclear
discussion will be reported septel. END SUMMARY.

3. (U) Charge Burleigh opened the conversation by expressing the
U.S. desire to maintain a close and open dialogue with India on
climate change and engage in practical, on the ground collaboration
in renewable energy technologies. S/E Saran noted his conversations
with Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern in March had been
extremely beneficial and substantive, as were his meetings with John
Holdren, Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy,
and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu. He said his Washington
interlocutors had expressed a very keen interest in working with
India which India welcomes as the two countries see climate change
and energy security as two sides of the same coin noting both can
only be resolved with a strategic shift from fossil fuel to nuclear
and renewable energy. In addition, he noted India's basic
philosophy towards combating climate change was remarkably similar
to that of the U.S. as both countries emphasize the need to grow
their economies while confronting the issue.

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POTENTIAL AREAS FOR COLLABORATION
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4. (U) Saran stated both the U.S. and India had talented scientists
and entrepreneurs and that there was fertile ground for
collaboration in clean coal and renewable energy. In regard to
coal, Saran noted both countries rely heavily on coal fired
electricity generation and stated he did not believe this would
change in the foreseeable future which made clean coal technology of
great interest to India. However, Saran stated India would not
pursue carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology as Indian
power plants are usually located far from geologic formations
suitable for carbon sequestration which reduces net emission
reductions due to the need to transport the captured CO2. In
addition, he stated India's geologic formations are in seismically
unstable areas and that India did not want to take the risk of a CO2
release. Despite this, Saran stated India wa willing to collaborate
with the U.S., either bilaterally or multilaterally, on CCS
technology and if proven, would reconsider adoption. Saran also
noted India's interest in gas to liquid fuel technlogy for
converting coal flue gases into methanol. He also said India was
looking at biochemical processes whereby algae is used to sequester
carbon.


5. (U) Saran stated India sees solar energy as the future and is
planning on rolling out an "ambitious but realistic" plan under the
National Solar Mission. He noted the first draft of the National
Solar Mission had been discussed in the Prime Minister's office on
April 13, 2009. Saran said the plan called for a Collected Solar
Power (CSP) pilot plant and that India would welcome U.S.
collaboration in its development. He also stated India would be
happy to collaborate on waste to energy, biomass, and other
renewable energy projects.

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ISSUES FOR THE MAJOR ECONOMIES FORUM
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6. (SBU) Saran confirmed he will attend the Major Economies Forum
on Energy and Climate (MEF) April 27-28 in Washington and noted
several issues he intends to raise including carbon capture, CSP,
forestry, the sectoral approach, and the issues to be discussed at
the MEF Leaders meeting. In regard to carbon capture, Saran stated
he wanted the major economies to broaden the discussion to include
forms of CCS other than geologic sequestration. As to CSP, he
intends to announce India's CSP pilot project and interest in
international collaboration. In regard to forestry, Saran stated he
wanted to see the major economies endorse a position where
afforestation was rewarded in the same fashion as avoided
deforestation under any international regime agreed to at
Copenhagen.


7. (SBU) Saran once again repeated the Indian aversion to the
sectoral approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions claiming it
was a form of protectionism hiding under a green cloak. He stated
India did not want international standards to negatively impact its
industry. Saran responded to a challenge - that in certain sectors

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such as steel, India competes at a world level and therefore its
global competitors believe it should be held to an international
standard - by agreeing that while certain elements of the Indian
steel industry are world-class, there was so much diversity in
production methods in India it was impossible to arrive at an Indian
standard, let alone an international standard. He noted these
issues quickly become emotional and recounted an episode at the most
recent Bonn climate talks where a Japanese delegate made an
impassioned outburst claiming that if India did not agree to reduce
emissions, there would be no agreement at Copenhagen. Saran
expressed a desire to enlist U.S. support to reduce such outbursts
by representatives of the major economies. He concluded his
discussion of the sectoral approach by expressing a willingness to
share best practices on a sectoral basis and include a forum for
doing so within the context of the Copenhagen talks.


8. (SBU) In regard to the MEF Leaders Meeting, Saran recommended
the major economies not attempt to resolve some of the impasses in
the UNFCCC negotiations at the MEF leaders meeting. He stated,
without specifying, certain issues are difficult not because of a
lack of leadership but because they are empirically difficult. He
said he did not want to put his prime minister in a position in
which the MEF Leaders Meeting could become as acrimonious as some of
the UNFCCC negotiating sessions.

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COOKSTOVES
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9. (U) Saran ended the climate change discussion by stating he
wanted to see a major effort by India to produce more efficient
cookstoves with better combustion which would reduce the amount of
black carbon in the atmosphere. Charge Burleigh noted such programs
had been going on in South Asia for decades. Saran replied they had
all been "failed experiments" due to lack of education and community
buy-in as well as poor after sales service and support. He stated
efficient cookstoves needed a business plan for proper
implementation and noted that the pending Waxman-Markey legislation
addressed the cookstove issue.

10. (SBU) COMMENT AND ACTION REQUEST: Saran clearly signaled a
strong interest in bilateral cooperation with the U.S. in renewable
energy technology research and development despite our differing
positions in the UNFCCC negotiations. While his comment that the
National Solar Mission plan was on its first draft was
disheartening, considering it is already four months overdue, it
appears India will be making serious commitments to renewable energy
in 2009. Building on the favorable outcome of Saran's Washington
talks with Special Envoy Stern, post requests S/E Stern consider a
visit to India after the June climate talks in Bonn and before the
September/October climate talks in Bangkok. This timing will allow
India to appoint a new lead climate change negotiator to replace
Special Envoy Saran should the national elections result in a change
of government. END COMMENT AND ACTION REQUEST.
BURLEIGH