UZBEKISTAN: SLOW APPROACH TO COPENHAGEN ACCORD

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TASHKENT 000160 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/CEN DEPARTMENT FOR OES/EGC DREW NELSON AND OES/S/SECC RACHEL KASTENBERG AND OES/PCI BARBARA CATES EMBASSY ASTANA FOR BRUCE HUDSPETH E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KGHG ENRG TSPL SENV UZ SUBJECT: UZBEKISTAN: SLOW APPROACH TO COPENHAGEN ACCORD REF: STATE 3079 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Overall, Uzbekistan supports the Copenhagen Accord but doubts it can meet the January 31 deadline for notification of its wish to associate itself with the Accord. Uzbekistan's position is that it must finalize its nationally appropriate mitigation actions prior to official association. In addition, Uzbekistan is waiting for clearer definitions of the terms for "international measurement, reporting and verification" of national mitigation actions and "international consultations and analysis" for those actions for which Uzbekistan will seek international support. In a January 28 meeting with First Deputy Foreign Minister Kamilov, the Ambassador urged the GOU not to allow technical details stand in the way of association with the Copenhagen Accord. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) On January 27, Ambassador Norland met with climate change experts Gulnara Zubkova, Sergei Myagkov, and Malika Nazarova from the Center of Hydrometeorological Services (Uzhydromet). Coming under the Cabinet of Ministers, Uzhydromet is the GOU-designated National Focal Point for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; in response to our demarche, the MFA referred us to them. Stressing the importance of climate change issues for the U.S., the Ambassador encouraged Uzbekistan to associate itself with the Copenhagen Accord by January 31. ¶3. (SBU) Zubkova responded that Uzbekistan generally supports the Copenhagen Accord; however, it cannot associate itself with the Accord by the given deadline. She explained that to do so, Uzbekistan is required to finalize and submit its Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMA) by January 31, which she said is not feasible. The completion of the NAMA process in Uzbekistan, she said, requires an extended economy-wide and inter-agency review and approval process in order to come up with a list of acceptable and realistic measures that must be in strict compliance with the developmental priorities of the country. In the absence of such research, Zubkova continued, Uzbekistan will not commit itself to anything that is uncertain at this time. In addition, Zubkova said the Copenhagen Conference had not clearly defined the terms for "international measurement, reporting and verification" of the national mitigation actions and "international consultations and analysis" for those actions for which Uzbekistan will most likely seek international support. Zubkova said she expects internationally-supported actions in Uzbekistan will be subject to stricter reporting and transparency requirements than will actions supported strictly by national means. ¶4. (SBU) Myagkov criticized poor planning of the Copenhagen Conference, stating that some Parties, not referring to any by name, attempted to use the event to pursue their national, selfish interests that were completely irrelevant. He also said that the expected outcome -- i.e., the Accord -- could have been communicated to the Parties in advance of the event to facilitate negotiations and enable countries to formulate their positions. (NOTE: Myagkov, who attended the Copenhagen Conference representing the GOU, made a joke saying that while the whole world gathered to complain about global warming, he caught cold because of freezing temperatures in Copenhagen. End Note.) ¶5. (SBU) In response to the Ambassador's inquiry, Zubkova described Uzbekistan's participation in the international emissions trading market through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol. She said the GOU had designated the Ministry of Economy as the Designated National Authority (DNA) for CDM projects in Uzbekistan. As of January 2010, she said, there are 55 nationally-approved CDM projects. She said the GOU is seeking investments totaling $1.6 billion USD to achieve a total of 14 million tons of CO2-equivalent reductions in emissions (NOTE: This reduction would account for 7 percent of total CO2 emissions in Uzbekistan. END NOTE). She added, however, that in accordance with CDM rules, it will be the investor countries, not Uzbekistan, that will be able to claim credit for this reduction. ¶6. (SBU) The Ambassador also raised the Copenhagen Accord in a TASHKENT 00000160 002 OF 002 separate meeting with First Deputy Foreign Minister Kamilov on January 28, encouraging the GOU to distinguish between association with the Accord and the need to provide finalized NAMAs. While not diminishing the importance of well-thought-through actions to reduce emissions, the Ambassador told Kamilov that what is most important today is renewed momentum towards a convention to replace the Kyoto Protocol. The Ambassador urged the GOU to associate officially with the Copenhagen Accord today and leave the technical studies for afterwards. Kamilov said he would give this urgent consideration. NORLAND