INDIA TO COMMUNICATE MITIGATION ACTIONS FOLLOWING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 000154 SIPDIS FOR SECC, OES/PCI AND OES/EGC E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/25/2020 TAGS: SENV KGHG TRGY ECON PREL IN SUBJECT: INDIA TO COMMUNICATE MITIGATION ACTIONS FOLLOWING UNFCCC CLARIFICATION Classified By: Blair Hall, EEST Minister-Counselor. Reasons: 1.5(b) and (d) ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY In a wide-ranging discussion following the climate change meeting of the BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) ministerial group, Indian Minister of Environment and Forests (MOEF) Jairam Ramesh told the Ambassador January 25 that India is ready to communicate its voluntary domestic mitigation efforts to the UNFCCC "within about two hours." However, Ramesh claimed, recent letters from the UN Secretary General and the Danish Prime Minister had muddied the water by implying these might be considered legally binding commitments. The BASIC parties therefore are awaiting clarification from the UNFCCC that the submissions are considered voluntary. If this is received prior to Janury 31, India will communicate its actions by that date. He emphasized that the BASIC countries view the two-track approach under Kyoto Protocol and the Bali Roadmap as the central processes, not the Copenhagen Accord. END SUMMARY ¶2. (C) Ambassador Roemer called on Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh January 25 for a wide-ranging discussion of climate change issues, including clean and renewable energy cooperation, as well as wildlife conservation, forestry and environmental governance matters (reported separately). Providing an overview of discussions at the BASIC meeting the previous day, Ramesh stated that all four ministers reiterated support for the Copenhagen Accord. He emphasized that support is based on the position that the Accord represents a high-level political understanding among the parties and is not considered a legally binding document. Ramesh acknowledged that the BASIC participants had differing perspectives on the imperative to provide information on their mitigation actions. He noted that China, acting with great confidence, "is completely indifferent to the Europeans and does not appear at all uncomfortable about the prospect of a challenge to the United States." Nonetheless, parties agreed to communicate mitigation actions to UNFCCC. ¶3. (SBU) Ramesh stated that India is ready to "carry its domestic commitments forward" and could send its mitigation actions to the UNFCCC "within about two hours." He claimed that letters from UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and Danish PM Rasmussen early this month had "muddied the waters." Ramesh said these communications could be read to imply that the submissions under the Accord were legally binding and that the Accord might be seen as superceding the two-track negotiating process laid out under the Kyoto Protocol and Bali Roadmap. Prime Minister Singh had replied in a January 18 letter seeking clarification. Ramesh said he himself did not necessarily read the letters this way but, nonetheless, they had opened questions that the Prime Minister felt must be answered before the Government of India could proceed. Ramesh said he expects a clarification from the UNFCCC, and had spoken to Yvo de Boer about it. If this clarification comes before January 31, India will submit information on its mitigation actions by the deadline. ¶4. (SBU) Ramesh said that the time table currently proposed is too slow for convening working groups in preparation for COP-16 in Mexico City. He said that the BASIC countries strongly believe that the first working group meetings on long-term cooperative actions and on Kyoto Annex I emissions reductions should meet in March and meet regularly thereafter leading up to the December meeting. ¶5. (U) The Ambassador expressed appreciation for the elements of the BASIC Joint Statement reaffirming support for the Copenhagen Accord and reiterating an intention to communicate mitigation actions by January 31. He affirmed the President´s commitment to the Accord as reached with the leaders of the BASIC countries and restated the United States´ intention to soon inscribe its emissions reductions target. The Ambassador and Ramesh agreed that continuing cooperation between the United States and India on clean and renewable energy is important to reducing GHG emissions. Ramesh welcomed the proposal for increased research and deployment of wind, solar, biomass and other technologies and said that he is eager to implement greater cooperation on civil nuclear energy. Mentioning an upcoming visit by the CEO of Duke Power, Ramesh said the GOI also would welcome more cooperation with the U.S. on cleaner coal technologies, including coal gasification, super critical facilities and carbon capture and sequestration. The Ambassador took the opportunity to remind Ramesh of the importance of rapid completion the legacy civil nuclear issues, including the reprocessing agreement, liability legislation and Part 810 licensing agreements. Noting that 1 million new motor vehicles were purchased in India in 2009 and that the number could rise to 10 million cars per year by 2016, Ramesh said he is particularly concerned about increasing energy demand and emissions coming from the transportation sector. The Ambassador offered that the United States would be willing to share its experience on regulating fuel quality standards and improving automotive fuel efficiency standards. ROEMER