CHILE ASSOCIATES WITH COPENHAGEN ACCORD; WILL CONSULT WITH

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SANTIAGO 000162 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON ENRG SENV PGOV KGHG CI SUBJECT: CHILE ASSOCIATES WITH COPENHAGEN ACCORD; WILL CONSULT WITH INCOMING CHILEAN ADMINISTRATION ON NEXT STEPS REF: STATE 3080; 09 SANTIAGO 1180 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Chile associated with the Copenhagen accord before January 31. However, it chose not to formalize its voluntary commitment, previously announced by the Chilean Minister of Environment in Copenhagen, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 20 percent below "business as usual" (BAU) by 2020. Chile is unlikely to consider inscribing to any mitigation commitments until after the new administration takes office in March 2010. End summary. Chile Associates on January 29, 2010 -------------- - ¶2. (U) Chile associated to the Copenhagen Accord in a letter from Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Angel Flisfisch to the Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC Secretariat on January 29. The letter confirmed Chile's intent to associate with the Copenhagen Accord and be listed as an associating country in the COP-15 final report. Flisfisch also expressed the country's hope that the accord would facilitate a process that will culminate in a binding international agreement on climate change. Chile Still Considering Voluntary Emissions Target -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) However, Chile did not make any commitments on voluntary reductions in its greenhouse gas emissions. Minister of Environment Ana Lya Uriarte, head of the Chilean delegation to the COP-15 in Copenhagen, had announced during December's climate conference that Chile would voluntarily reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 20 percent below "business as usual" (BAU) by 2020 in the electricity, mining, transport, and other energy-intensive industrial sectors. Echoing what she told the Ambassador prior to Copenhagen (ref b),Uriarte claimed Chile's goal would be achieved using domestic resources. ¶4. (SBU) In January, Waldemar Coutts, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Environmental Directorate (MFA/DIMA), and Alvaro Sapag, Executive Director of Chile's National Environmental Commission (CONAMA),acknowledged an internal GOC debate on the baseline year to calculate BAU. Coutts intimated that the Ministries of Energy and Finance preferred to be cautious about committing the country to a target. Chile Meets Deputy Special Envoy for Climate Change -Wants to Be "Part of the Solution" -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶5. (U) On January 20, Jonathan Pershing, U.S. Deputy Special Envoy for Climate Change met with Coutts and Sapag; Mauricio Hurtado, Head of Department of Environmental Affairs at Chile's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Raul Campusano, Director of International Relations, CONAMA and Rodrigo Meza, Economic officer from the Embassy of Chile also attended. U.S. Embassy Santiago ESTHoff and representatives from OES/ENV and WHA/EPSC were also present. ¶6. (SBU) Coutts, who took the Chilean lead at the meeting, called the meetings in Copenhagen "confusing" and expressed real doubts about getting to a legally binding agreement by the time of the Mexico meeting (late 2010). He was particularly concerned that there was no program of work or specific follow-up meetings scheduled, and noted that messages inviting Chile to associate were not very clear on either dates or expectations. He repeated several times that, despite these concerns, "Chile wants to be part of the solution." He said the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Environment had both recommended that Chile associate with the Copenhagen Accord before January 31, but there might be delays while the GOC worked out issues within its interagency and with its new administration. Ambassador Calls Key Ministries to Confirm Commitment -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶7. (SBU) On January 28, Ambassador called Acting Minister of Environment Alvaro Sapag and Minister of Energy Marcelo Tokman. SANTIAGO 00000162 002 OF 002 Sapag indicated that Chile would associate before the January 31 deadline, but acknowledged reservations on the part of some government agencies. Minister Tokman told the Ambassador that he found the mitigation requirements language "confusing" and said he wanted to consult with the incoming government. [Note: President-elect Sebastian Pinera will be inaugurated on March 11. End note.] Both officials stated that Chile would associate with the Copenhagen Accord, but the government could not commit to any mitigation actions at this time. URBAN