VZCZCXRO2973
RR RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD
DE RUCNDT #0196/01 0711942
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 121942Z MAR 07
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1498
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000196 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ENRG ECON EUN SENV UNCSD
SUBJECT: UN CSD-15: READOUT OF FEBRUARY 26 - MARCH 2 
INTERGOVERNMENTAL PREPARATORY MEETING 
 
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Summary 
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¶1. (SBU) The Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting for the 
15th Session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development 
achieved its principal aims the week of February 26 of 
producing a basis for the CSD-15 negotiating text in May, and 
providing a showcase for highlighting proven solutions in the 
areas of energy, atmosphere, industrial development and 
climate change that can be replicated and scaled up around 
the world.  While most delegations focused their efforts on 
laying the groundwork for the outcome document, the U.S. won 
praise from developing states for its singular attention to 
action and implementation through the use of concrete 
examples.  European Union ambitions to elaborate a review 
mechanism and a voluntary basket of commitments may 
complicate negotiations at CSD-15.  End summary. 
 
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Background 
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¶2. (U) The two-year "Energy Cycle" of the UN Commission on 
Sustainable Development (CSD) began in May 2005 and consists 
of two main sessions: the CSD-14 Review Session (May 1-12, 
2006) and the CSD-15 Policy Session (April 30-May 11, 2007). 
The February 26-March 2, 2007 Intergovernmental Preparatory 
Meeting (IPM) for CSD-15 served as a bridge between CSD-14 
and CSD-15, offering an opportunity to "identify policy 
options and practical measures" to overcome the barriers and 
constraints to implementation that were identified last year. 
 While the official output of the IPM was a "Draft 
Negotiating Document," the CSD Secretariat also continued its 
work on a "Matrix" of 120-plus best practices to address the 
energy challenge. 
 
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The IPM Outcome Document 
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¶3. (U) The IPM for CSD-15 concluded with the release of a 
9-page "Draft Negotiation Document" that listed, largely in 
bullet format, ideas raised during the week by delegations 
for inclusion in the ultimate outcome document for CSD-15 in 
May.  The document was organized around the four themes of 
CSD's current two-year cycle (energy, atmosphere, industrial 
development and climate change), plus sections on 
interlinkages and follow-up.  Though the draft document 
contains considerable repetition of previously negotiated 
text, it fairly reflects the content of the week's 
discussions while keeping a format that will preclude an 
endless cycle of negotiation stretching to the start of 
CSD-15 on April 30 -- a key U.S. objective. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The European Union (EU) voiced loudest 
disappointment in the "Draft Negotiation Document," noting 
that it omitted reference to the EU's ambitious proposal for 
a review mechanism for renewable energy and its proposal for 
creating a "voluntary basket" of commitments.  Both ideas are 
likely to be resurrected by the EU at CSD-15 and generate 
considerable debate.  The EU representative lamented that 
omission of the two points at the IPM may needlessly delay 
negotiations at CSD-15 and "put at risk the legitimacy and 
reputation" of CSD, "already under scrutiny since the last 
CSD cycle."  (Note: A G-77 representative had privately 
warned that some EU delegates want to see CSD collapse in the 
belief that would help spur the EU's push for creation of a 
new UN Environment Organization.  End note.)  Several other 
delegations also commented that the IPM outcome document bore 
a strong OPEC stamp in its positive reference to fossil 
fuels.  (Note: The CSD Chairman is Qatar's energy minister. 
End note.) 
 
¶5. (U) The U.S. delegation, the G-77, and others raised 
concerns with the scope of the EU's proposals for a review 
mechanism, particularly the possibility for such a mechanism 
to recommend further policies in the future.  On the 
commitments basket proposal--received skeptically by the 
G-77--the U.S. delegation laid down a marker that such an 
approach would need to track with the non-intrusive precedent 
set by the CSD Partnerships Database (i.e. voluntary 
reporting, no UN report cards). 
 
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U.S. Preaches Practical Solutions 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) The bulk of the IPM was devoted to a series of panel 
discussions on the four themes, as well as a special session 
focusing on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), who 
 
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highlighted the particular energy, climate change and 
pollution challenges confronting their vulnerable nations. 
 
¶7. (U) The U.S. opening statement and subsequent 
interventions in the panel discussions 
(www.un.org/esa/sustdev/csd/csd15/statements ipm.htm) focused 
on actions instead of words, using a "Featured Solutions" 
compilation (available via www.SDP.gov) to highlight 
practical and proven approaches from the CSD Matrix that can 
be scaled up and replicated elsewhere (e.g., standards and 
labels, phasing out leaded gasoline, nuclear energy, etc.). 
The U.S. delegation reinforced this approach by hosting an 
"Energy Efficiency Solutions Showcase" side-event during the 
IPM, with a panel of public and private-sector participants 
(including German government and South African electric 
utility representatives) highlighting concrete approaches 
that continue to deliver results.  Key developing-state 
delegations praised the U.S. focus on action and 
implementation.  The U.S. delegation likewise held briefings 
for interested NGOs at the start, mid-point and conclusion of 
the IPM to share priorities and solicit concerns.  In 
contrast to the U.S. approach, most national delegations 
predictably devoted their IPM interventions to influencing 
the outcome document only. 
 
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Next Steps 
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¶8. (U) The "Draft Negotiation Document" is now closed to 
further revision.  The CSD Chairman will release a new draft 
negotiating text in resolution format on May 2 (the third day 
of CSD-15), to be followed by four days of negotiation.  The 
U.S. was joined by Russia, Canada and Brazil at the IPM in 
calling for a lean, action-oriented negotiating text that 
neither re-opens nor reiterates previously negotiated text. 
 
¶9. (SBU) The U.S. will use the coming weeks and first three 
days of CSD-15 to underscore our focus on scaling up and 
replicating best practices relevant to the four themes of the 
current cycle, and advocating that the negotiating text to be 
released on May 2 be short and non-duplicative of previous 
texts or parallel UN processes (such as climate change 
discussions in the UNFCCC).  An interagency review will scan 
the IPM outcome document for text that fails this standard 
and might be deleted from the CSD-15 outcome document draft. 
There will also be further consultations within our JUSCANZ 
group (Japan, U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Russia 
and others), and with the EU and the G-77.  The EU will 
likely devote some effort to further elaborating its vague 
proposals on a follow-up mechanism and voluntary basket of 
commitments in a manner that might overcome the prevailing 
opposition at present. 
WOLFF