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OO RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
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DE RUEHSM #0220 0911114
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 011114Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4266
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS STOCKHOLM 000220 
 
OES FOR S/E STERN AND CLIMATE TEAM 
 
SITUATION ROOM PLEASE PASS TO CAROL BROWNER 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV KGHG PREL SW
SUBJECT: SWEDEN HOPES ENVIRONMENT MINISTER TO BE INCLUDED IN EU 
DELEGATION TO MEF 
 
¶1. This cable contains action requests at para 8. 
 
¶2. Summary.  Ambassador Staffan Tillander, a senior GOS climate 
official, expressed concern about the lack of certainty and speed in 
the UNFCCC process, predicting that heavier political involvement 
will be required.  Sweden hopes for two processes in this respect; 
 
-- the re-launched MEF process, where Sweden hopes that its 
Environment Minister Andreas Carlgren will participate as a member 
of the EU delegation; and 
 
-- the U.S. and the EU will agree to use the High Level EU-US 
Dialogue on Climate Change, Clean Energy, and Sustainable 
Development as a forum for direct, intense consultation, leading up 
to the USEU Summit in June. 
 
End summary. 
 
¶3. Charge and Econ Specialist met Ambassador Staffan Tillander, one 
of Environment Minister Andreas Carlgren's closest advisors, on 
March 31, to discuss the recent troika visit to Washington in 
mid-March and to take stock of developments in recent weeks. 
 
GOS worried about direction of UNFCCC talks 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  Tillander was in Bonn for the early stages of the UNFCCC 
meetings late last week.  He told us that it was "not an encouraging 
experience," with the G-77 group raising numerous procedural issues. 
 Tillander characterized the talk as "lacking both certainty and 
speed."  To his mind, there is a clear need for heavier political 
involvement via the MEF. 
 
Swedish hopes for MEF involvement via the EU delegation 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  Sweden hopes to be able to participate in the MEF process as 
part of the EU delegation.  Climate Ambassador Tillander told Charge 
that the GOS understands that Sweden can only be included as part of 
the EU delegation. Tillander asked for our assessment as to the most 
appropriate "Leader's representative," indicating that Sweden would 
like to send Environment Minister Andreas Carlgren.  The Czechs 
recently told the GOS that it has not yet determined who will 
represent PM Topolanek at the MEF.  Environment Commissioner Dimas 
will be in Stockholm the week of April 6, so Carlgren will discuss 
this in more detail next week. 
 
Restarting High Level EU-US Dialogue on Climate change 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  Tillander participated in the EU troika visit to Washington 
March 16-17, with the Czech and Swedish Environment Ministers and 
Commissioner Dimas.  The group met Todd Stern, Carol Browner, and 
Lisa Jackson.  In all meetings participants agreed that a U.S.-EU 
dialogue is needed in the run-up to COP-15, including on mid-term 
targets, how to approach India and China, financing, and 
comparability standards.  The EU raised, per Tillander, 
re-invigorating the High Level EU-US Dialogue on climate change, 
clean energy, and sustainable development as the format for EU-US 
direct discussions leading up to the June USEU Summit in Washington. 
 
 
¶7.  Tillander told us that he believes that if the U.S. can use 
flexible mechanisms to make commitments to go below 1990 levels in 
its mid-term targets, then that would send a very powerful signal. 
He fears that returning to the 1990-level as the mid-term target 
will dampen overall prospects for success.  Using flexible 
mechanisms to pay for, and be able to account for, reductions abroad 
is a method used liberally in Europe, not least by Sweden. 
 
¶8.  Action requests: 
 
--  MEF:  Washington guidance on level of representation of the EU 
delegation at the MEF process meeting would be appreciated. 
 
-- High Level Dialogue:  Post would appreciate information about 
U.S. thinking on the prospects of using the High Level Dialogue as a 
vehicle for climate change talks. 
 
SILVERMAN