GOING GREEN IN THE GOLDEN CITY: EMBASSY PRAGUE PROMOTES

UNCLAS PRAGUE 000592 SIPDIS DEPT FOR OES/EGC: WMOORE, EUR: MBEH AND SPARKER-BURNS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: BEXP ECON ENRG EUN KGHG KPAO OEXC PREL SENV SW EZ SUBJECT: GOING GREEN IN THE GOLDEN CITY: EMBASSY PRAGUE PROMOTES ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP REF: A. STATE 64364 ¶B. STOCKHOLM 202 ¶C. STATE 40579 ¶1. Summary: Embassy Prague works diligently to improve understanding of U.S. environmental policies and accomplishments, promote environmentally-responsible behavior, strengthen ties between Czechs and Americans in this field, and create eco-friendly economic opportunities. Management has implemented energy and resource-saving measures on Embassy-owned properties; FCS promotes trade supporting renewable energy and green technologies; and Public Affairs creates opportunities to highlight U.S. accomplishments in the field of environmental stewardship and to foster U.S.-Czech collaboration in this field. End Summary. -------------- Background -------------- ¶2. Beyond financial and moral imperatives, Embassy Prague has found environmental stewardship to be a useful platform on which to improve U.S.-Czech government-to-government cooperation, stimulate investment and business relationships, increase scientific collaboration, and improve the U.S. image in the Czech Republic (CR). Although Czech dependence on coal creates one of Europe's largest per-capita ecological footprints, Czech people and policy makers are avidly working towards a greener future, particularly with the Copenhagen climate negotiations in view. These conditions provide fertile ground for our partnership to blossom. ¶3. In summer 2009, Embassy Prague established an interagency working group including the Management Section, the Political-Economic section, the Public Affairs Section, the Foreign Agricultural Service, and the Foreign Commercial Service. The working group provides a valuable forum for cross-sectional discussion, engagement and cooperation, and ensures Mission-wide awareness of section initiatives. Along the lines of Embassy Stockholm's "Next Big Thing" Initiative and REFTELs, Embassy Prague wishes to share some of its many successes and ongoing activities. -------------- Internal Operations -------------- ¶4. The Management Section of Embassy Prague has: - Installed an automatic sprinkler system, saving $3,000 and 2.2 million liters of water in one year, a sustainable best practice. - Built a fully enclosed bicycle rack to provide covered parking for bike commuters. - Created an Earth Day online video outlining Embassy Prague's sustainable practices. - Installed CF lamps in select residences, saving each house $250 annually. - Reduced volume of unsorted waste by 28 percent through paper and plastic recycling. In addition, they have led the Mission in: - Completing Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) Sustainability Survey for Post (2007),reporting above average sustainability among overseas posts. - Joining the Department of State League of Green Embassies. -------------- Economic Cooperation and Investment Opportunities -------------- ¶5. The Foreign Commercial Service of Embassy Prague: - Regularly promotes trade supporting renewable energy and environmental technologies through market research studies, including: -- Czech Renewable Energy Market, Industry Sector Analysis, February 2009 -- Water and Waste Water Market in the Czech Republic, Industry Sector Analysis, February 2009. - Participates in U.S. and EU trade shows through the Energy, Green Building, and Environmental Teams. Past and upcoming trade shows include: -- Power Gen Europe 2010 (Amsterdam, June 2010) co-located with Renewable Energy World Europe -- Aquatherm Prague, November 24 - 28, 2009 -- Envi Brno, May 2010 -- Building Fair in Brno, April 2009 -- ForArch Trade Show in Prague, September 2009 -- Will participate in the Big Green Pavilion green business fair in coordination with the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Change Summit. -------------- Public Diplomacy -------------- ¶6. The Public Affairs Section of Embassy Prague: - Helped establish the Czech Republic Green Buildings Council to promote environmentally friendly and sustainable building methods in the Czech Republic and Central and Eastern Europe, and continues to support its progress. - Co-organized with the British Council seminars, including "Sustainable Local Energy Self-sufficiency," "Architectural, Technical and Social Aspects of Green Buildings," and "Economic Aspects of Green Buildings." Over 150 experts in the environmental field -- architects, engineers, academics, students, and business and government leaders -- attended these seminars, which in part led to the creation of the Czech Green Building Council. - Organized a roundtable on climate change and environmental issues with leading Czech environmental NGOs for a CODEL of six, an Under Secretary of the Department of Energy and a White House representative. - Sponsored a lecture by Professor Robert Greenstreet, Director of Planning and Design for the City of Milwaukee, on the sustainable development of urban communities with Czech academics, government officials and city planners. - In cooperation with the Czech Partnership Foundation, facilitated a workshop entitled "Social Bike Business for Prague" with Sue Knaup, Executive Director of One Street, which promoted bicycle-commuting and financially self sufficient certified social bike shops owned and operated by disadvantaged communities. - Organized the trip of Mike Van Abel, Executive Director of US-based NGO International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA),to the Czech Republic to work on citizen-based nature conservation and landscape stewardship with the Czech Mountain Biking Association. - Partnered with the Galerie Jaroslava Fragnera to curate an exhibition and conference on 'Green Architecture,' which featured lectures and works by New York based architect Mitchell Joachim. - In cooperation with the Czech Academy of Sciences, screened the film "An Inconvenient Truth" at the American Center in Prague and the Moravian Library in Brno as a part of the Academy's Science and Technology Week. - Supported the screening throughout the Czech Republic of the American film "Garbage Warrior," a feature-length documentary which tells the story of American eco-architect Michael Reynolds, his crew of renegade house-builders from New Mexico, and their fight to introduce radically different and sustainable ways of living. - Launched the 'Low Carbon Speakers Bureau Series,' in which officers make presentations to regional Czech high schools via the State Department's new Adobe Acrobat webchat platform co.nx, increasing Embassy outreach without increasing carbon emissions. - Supported the "Road to Copenhagen" environmental conference in Prague with a U.S. speaker. - Produced the multimedia website http://projects.citiesxborders.com/energy)dis cussing the development of renewable energy projects in the U.S. and Czech Republic, and emphasizing how the U.S. leads in renewable energy technology development. The website will serve as a virtual forum bringing together other environment-oriented PA programming in the months ahead, and may be presented on other USG and participating institutions' web sites. - Continues to create strong institutional partnerships and speaker opportunities with professional journalists who will train 24 U.S. and Czech students during a three-week renewable energy reporting project. - Provides partnership and funding for the Environmental Law Service to complete a study entitled "Alternative Energy Sources v. Bureaucratic and Legislative Hurdles: Obstacles on the Way to Fight Global Warming," which will identify and devise strategies for overcoming administrative and legislative obstacles that limit the development of renewable energy in the Czech Republic. - Sent an influential Czech journalist to participate in the USEU/Foreign Press Center-organized reporting tour on green technology, as well as numerous International Visitor grantees in this field. - Is developing a set of interactive study materials (including articles, work sheets, and case studies) through Czech partner Ekowatt in order to raise public awareness on the environmental impact of housing among secondary school students. - Supports the Czech Environmental Partnership Foundation's Tree of Life program, whose annual 'Concert for Trees' raises funds for tree planting activities. Over the past ten years, this project has planted over 50,000 trees across the Czech countryside. - Continues to organize environment-related speaker, exchange and web-based public outreach programs. -------------- Multi-Sectional Collaboration -------------- ¶7. Mission Prague organized the 2010 Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Building Technology Group through the International Visitors Program, with participants from national and local governments; industry and professional associations for architects, designers, developers and building product manufacturers; NGOs promoting energy efficiency and sustainable building; and private citizens. The program will help participants to identify best practices and create possibilities for energy efficiency improvements, while approaching policy approaches and strategies for financially viable energy efficiency projects. Returned IVs are collaborating with PAS on Brownfield regeneration, the Sustainable Buildings Program and other environmental issues. -------------- Community Outreach -------------- ¶8. Embassy Prague held a community service event, during which the Embassy community planted 1050 trees in a Czech national park. -------------- Conclusion -------------- ¶8. Embassy Prague is proud of its green efforts in recent years. We join the chorus of embassies sharing their environmental accomplishments, and will continue to investigate new ways to advance eco-friendly programs and resource-efficient practices. Thompson-Jones