VZCZCXRO4880
RR RUEHIK
DE RUEHCP #0486/01 3031544
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 301544Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5281
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 1534
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0927
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 5592
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 0028
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1586
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COPENHAGEN 000486 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR S/SECC, OES, EUR/NB 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KGHG PGOV PREL DA
SUBJECT:  DANISH PM CALLS FOR POLITICAL AGREEMENT AT COP-15, 
LAUNCHES "COPENHAGEN COMMITMENT CIRCLE" 
 
REF:  A) Dollinger-Beh email 10/29 
 
COPENHAGEN 00000486  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
(U)  SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED--NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION. 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  Danish PM Lars Loekke Rasmussen delivered a 
speech on climate change to legislators from the G-8 and major 
developing countries gathered in Copenhagen on October 24 for an 
inter-parliamentary event.  Rasmussen laid out a vision of a 
'politically binding' agreement at COP-15 which could take immediate 
effect, followed by a more detailed legally binding UNFCCC agreement 
in future.  He also announced the launch of a "Copenhagen Commitment 
Circle (CCC)," comprising a select group of leaders to coordinate 
their efforts in favor of the twin-goal approach.  We have not been 
approached at the Embassy to seek high level U.S. involvement in the 
CCC.  The first DVC among leaders participating in the CCC took 
place on October 29, between Prime Minister Rasmussen, President 
Calderon of Mexico, Prime Minister Rudd of Australia, and UNSYG Ban 
Ki Moon.  PM Rasmussen will visit Moscow on November 2 for 
discussions with PM Putin including climate change.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) The PM's October 24 speech was before the Global GLOBE is 
the Global Legislators Organization for a Balanced Environment 
(GLOBE), founded in 1989.  GLOBE consists of senior cross-party 
members of parliament from all G8 countries and Brazil, China, 
India, Mexico and South Africa.  The U.S. GLOBE delegation to this 
meeting was led by Rep. Edward Markey, who issued a report of 
GLOBE's international commission on climate and energy security, 
which he chairs, outlining shared legislative priorities on climate 
and energy security (available at 
http://copenhagen.globeinternational. 
org/globe_legislators_forum/speakers.aspx).  For the full text of 
the PM's speech before the GLOBE group, see: 
http://www.stm.dk/_p_12969.html. 
 
¶3.  (U) Selected Text of PM's Speech: 
 
On this basis, I suggest that we lock in the determination to act 
already by Copenhagen and seek political commitments for immediate 
implementation. I believe that all the key components of the deal 
can be achieved in Copenhagen. 
 
In order to achieve this, the Copenhagen Agreement should be 
ambitious; it should be binding and it should be concrete. 
 
It should build on the principles established by the existing legal 
framework, most notably the principle of a common but differentiated 
responsibility. 
 
It should capture and encourage the contributions individual 
countries are willing to undertake within all areas of the Bali Road 
Map, including specific and binding commitments on mitigation and 
finance. In the context of immediate action, significant up front 
finance for both early mitigation and adaptation efforts of the 
poorest and most vulnerable countries will be of particular 
importance. 
 
In order to ensure transparency and that the individual countries 
are standing behind their commitments and deliver on their promises, 
we shall also need a system of measurement, reporting and 
verification. 
 
This is the agreement we must reach. It will both provide guidance 
for our lawyers to finalize the details of the internationally legal 
binding agreement and for world leaders to commit to specific 
immediate action, starting January 2010. 
In this way, Copenhagen could provide for immediate action based on 
a comprehensive set of binding, political commitments from world 
leaders. 
 
The Copenhagen Agreement would thus serve two purposes: 
1) to direct further negotiations towards concluding outstanding 
details in a new legal climate regime; 
2) to capture and encourage political commitment in order to provide 
for immediate action to combat global warming. 
 
Political commitment to immediate action will also serve to focus 
and strengthen the negotiations on the legal agreement. It is 
important that these two purposes will merge in one decision at 
COP15. 
 
Process 
 
COPENHAGEN 00000486  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
In the coming weeks, I will systematically seek to engage a growing 
number of leaders. Let us call it "The Copenhagen Commitment 
Circle." Our joint goal should be to keep the momentum high in order 
to reach agreement on a binding, global agreement in Copenhagen and 
make sure we can start implementing it immediately. 
 
I call on every one of you present here today as well as every 
leader around the world to engage to make this vision reality. With 
the expected progress in the coming weeks, we shall pave the way for 
leaders to meet in Copenhagen in order to seal the deal. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) In a subsequent non-paper shared with USEU (REF A), the 
Danes explained the CCC initiative further: 
 
An ambitious politically binding agreement 
The UNSG High Level Event in New York, 22 September has strengthened 
the engagement of Heads of State and Government. Leaders have 
clearly indicated their commitment to conclude a new global climate 
agreement in Copenhagen in December. There seems to be an 
unprecedented political momentum. We should seize this opportunity 
and make a common effort to achieve an ambitious agreement with 
immediate impact. 
 
This agreement should serve two purposes embodied in a decision of 
the conference: First of all to provide guidance and timeframe for 
the UNFCCC negotiations on the new legal climate agreement - 
negotiations that will stretch beyond COP 15 itself. Secondly, to 
constitute a political binding agreement that would enter into force 
immediately and hence provide for immediate action to combat global 
warming. 
 
The political binding agreement should aim to secure that global 
warming does not exceed two degrees C and must cover all the Bali 
building blocks, including emission commitments and actions, 
finance, technology, and adaptation and enhance them as far as 
possible. 
 
The Copenhagen Commitment Circle 
 
To reach our objective there is a need for support and involvement 
at the highest political level. The Danish Prime Minister has 
therefore launched "The Copenhagen Commitment Circle." 
 
This initiative will initially bring together a small core group of 
dedicated Heads of State and Government and the UN Secretary-General 
that are committed to the twin approach (guidance for continued 
negotiations within UNFCCC and agreement on immediate 
implementation). They will meet on a weekly basis by videoconference 
to continuously assess progress in negotiations leading to COP15 and 
to exchange views on how to further advance these with a view to 
building momentum at the highest political level. Meetings will be 
chaired by the Danish Prime Minister. The first meeting was held on 
28 October 2009 with the participation of the UN Secretary-General, 
the Prime Minister of Australia and the President of Mexico. 
 
The objective of the Copenhagen Commitment Circle will be to capture 
the engagement of a growing number of leaders for the twin approach 
and to build common understanding on the way ahead based also on the 
specific commitments that countries are willing to undertake as part 
of an ambitious agreement in Copenhagen. Therefore, the circle will 
gradually widen and should eventually pave the way for leaders to 
meet in Copenhagen to seal the deal. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The Office of the Prime Minister confirmed on 10/30 that 
the first digital video conference between participants in the CCC 
had taken place on 10/29, and included PM Rasmussen, President 
Calderon of Mexico, PM Rudd of Australia, PM Stoltenberg of Norway, 
and UNSYG Ban Ki Moon.  The DVC format would be repeated weekly, and 
expanded to include new participants as they join.  The intention is 
to coordinate and share views on how to advance the "twin goal 
approach" outlined by PM Rasmussen in his speech. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The PM's Office has confirmed that PM Rasmussen will visit 
Moscow on November 2 to meet with PM Putin for discussions including 
COP-15.  Rasmussen's staff would not confirm whether PM Rasmussen 
will invite Putin to join the CCC. 
 
FULTON