Copenhagen Accord: Austria to Inscribe via EU

UNCLAS VIENNA 000108 SENSITIVE, SIPDIS STATE FOR OES/EGC, EUR/CE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KGHG SENV ENRG AU END SUBJECT: Copenhagen Accord: Austria to Inscribe via EU REF: STATE 3080 ¶1. (SBU) On January 22, Ambassador Eacho delivered reftel demarche to EnvirMin Nikolaus Berlakovich (GoA Minister of Agriculture, Environment, Forestry, and Water Management). Berlakovich assured the Ambassador that Austria, along with the other EU countries, would associate itself with the Copenhagen Accord. Berlakovich said the EU will submit a listing of its targets and that Austria would support the current target of a 20% reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions by 2020. ¶2. (SBU) The Ambassador suggested that Austria urge other countries where Austria has special influence, such as Croatia and other Balkan states, to associate themselves with the Copenhagen Accord. Berlakovich replied that the GoA would consider the idea and subsequently told the Ambassador they had communicated with Zagreb, who planned to associate. ¶3. (SBU) In a follow-up meeting Jan. 28 with DCM, Environment Ministry Secretary General Reinhold Mang reaffirmed that Austria would, through the EU process, associate itself with the Copenhagen Accord. He expects the EU to inscribe its 20 percent CO2 reduction goal (some German pressure notwithstanding),but not indicate specific national goals (NOTE: Austria's 2020 mitigation target is 16% under the EU burden-sharing agreement). Mang expects the EU to reaffirm its offer of EUR 10.6 billion in fast track funding, but it was not clear whether this goal would also be inscribed with the UNFCCC. Asked about future EU negotiating flexibility, Mang said he found it hard to envisage any change in how the EU as a whole approaches the climate talks. He said Austrian NGO's were disappointed that the funding specifics had not yet been worked out and we agreed to keep his Ministry and the Embassy in close contact on these and other Copenhagen implementation issues going forward. ¶4. (SBU) Mang, who is focused on GoA domestic efforts to meet its revised Kyoto commitments, reported on efforts to negotiate a "national energy strategy" and related climate law. Both industry and Austria's federal states pose particular challenges to the effort, but he was optimistic that the package could include tax measures to help Austria reduce its transport sector emissions. He stressed, however, that the Environment Ministry can only regulate the agricultural and waste sectors, and that domestic negotiations would be difficult. GoA Opposes Higher Mitigation Targets - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶5. (SBU) In a related conversation, Austria's chief climate negotiator Helmut Hojesky indicated to us that the GoA opposes any move by the European Union to adopt targets beyond the current 20/20/20 plan. Although a "few large member states" continue to advocate for higher targets, the GoA opposes such a move -- barring breakthrough commitments by other large economies -- and Hojesky does not expect that member states could find consensus on higher targets. EACHO