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

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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