VZCZCXRO9735
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHWR #0563/01 0671345
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 081345Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY WARSAW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3484
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHKW/AMCONSUL KRAKOW 1626
RUEAEPA/HQ EPA WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 WARSAW 000563 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/NCE, EUR/ERA, EUR/PGI, OES/GC, OES/STC, OES/ENV, 
OES/PCI, G, EB/ESC, EUR/PPD 
EUR/NCE FOR DKOSTELANCIK AND BPUTNEY 
EUR/PGI FOR IVAN WEINSTEIN 
EUR/PPD FOR BUSHNAQ 
WHITE HOUSE FOR CEQ DAVE BANKS 
DEPT PASS USTR FOR WMOORE 
COMMERCE FOR 4232/ITA/MAC/EUR/JBURGESS, JKIMBALL, MWILSON 
DOE FOR LEKIMOFF, MGINSBERG, GKERESTES 
EPA FOR APHILLIPS, KBUCKLEY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON SENV KPAO ENRG PL
 
SUBJECT: POLAND: ENVIRONMENT AND SCIENCE INITIATIVES 
REF: A) STATE 14726, B) 06 WARSAW 2395 
 
WARSAW 00000563  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1.  In response to ref A, post takes the opportunity to highlight 
post initiatives in environment and science.  Various initiatives 
are already underway and post is planning for continued and 
increased cooperation in these areas.  The Ambassadorplays a 
significant role in many of the environmental and scientific efforts 
put forward by post, and in the recruitment of U.S. high tech 
investors.  These activities are central to achievement of our 
mission goals.  Below is a summary of the various initiatives in 
environment and science that post is involved in. 
 
------------------------------------- 
¶2. Science and Technology Cooperation 
------------------------------------- 
 
-- Post alongside the Department and Washington agencies worked to 
achieve a U.S.-Polish Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement 
in 2006.  The Agreement creates the legal framework to allow 
bilateral cooperation in science and technology between U.S. 
partners and Poland's national research institutes and universities. 
 For the Polish side, the Agreement removes various administrative 
obstacles to transatlantic scientific collaboration and encourages 
joint research, conferences, and the exchange of people and ideas. 
 
-- The embassy actively assists in the recruitment of U.S. high-tech 
firms as investors in Poland.  The decisions of such firms as Intel, 
Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, Motorola, General Electric, United 
Technologies, Bunge, and Dell to expand R&D capabilities or locate 
new high-tech investments in Poland have been strongly supported by 
the Embassy.  Collectively, these firms now employ thousands of 
software programmers, engineers, and scientific personnel in 
Poland. 
 
-- The embassy advocates extensively on behalf of U.S. investors for 
improvements to Poland's business environment that will permit 
greater investment in advanced technology. 
 
-- Post is working with the Department of State's Science and 
Technology Advisor's office to create a program that would encourage 
additional Polish scientists to study in the U.S. 
 
-- To promote research cooperation with the U.S. private sector, the 
Ambassador hosted a reception in September 2006 for Poland's top 
scientists and researchers as well as representatives of the U.S. 
business community. 
 
---------------- 
¶3.  Clean Energy 
---------------- 
 
-- Post is working with the Ministry of Economy on its plans to host 
either a Clean Energy Ministerial or Clean Energy seminar for later 
in 2007.  The high-level conference would demonstrate Poland's 
leadership in introducing new clean energy technologies into the 
region. 
 
-- As part of a regional effort with Embassies Prague, Bratislava, 
and Budapest, Warsaw FCS is organizing a renewable energy trade 
mission to the region in fall 2007.  The mission would help to 
introduce renewable energy technologies and companies to the region 
and raise the awareness of how the development of renewables could 
help address energy security concerns. 
 
-- Following the visit of Council of Environmental Quality Chairman 
Connaughton to Poland in October 2006, post has been in close 
discussion with GOP contacts, attempting to connect them with USG 
experts to learn more about clean energy technologies and how the 
USG has implemented incentives for the private sector. 
 
-- Post is working to convince Poland to join the Department of 
Energy's Future-Gen program. 
 
-- Post hopes to further the dialogue on clean energy with GOP 
contacts nominated for the International Visitor Leadership Program 
European Regional Program on clean energy. 
 
WARSAW 00000563  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
 
-- Efforts are also underway to help GOP scientists find locations 
in the U.S. to research clean energy technologies.  Post has been 
asked by the Ministry of Environment to assist in finding 
universities or labs where Polish PhD engineers affiliated with the 
Environment Ministry can be exposed to state-of-the-art clean energy 
technology.  Post is awaiting a determination from the Department of 
Energy or the Science and Technology Advisor's office on appropriate 
institutions to host such personnel. 
 
----------------- 
¶4. Climate Change 
----------------- 
 
-- In February 2007, post co-sponsored the Polish premiere of Al 
Gore's movie on global warming, "An Inconvenient Truth," and used 
the occasion to articulate U.S. policy on climate change and to 
highlight USG efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  The 
screening, at an environmental and clean energy trade fair, enabled 
post to reach an eager audience of nearly 200 environmentally 
conscious Poles, while delivering an important message of USG 
concern for the environment and involvement in addressing the 
issue. 
 
-- For Earth Day 2007, post plans to collaborate with the local 
GLOBE program in celebration of its 10th anniversary in Poland. 
Through PAS's Mission Speaker's Bureau, post plans to send embassy 
representatives to speak at various GLOBE schools and participate in 
Earth Day activities. 
 
-- Post is facilitating contact between GOP emissions trading 
experts and those who handle similar issues in the USG.  GOP experts 
are eager to learn from the U.S. experience in trading SO2 and also 
in creating a pollutant inventory to learn how to better implement 
both in Poland.  Through embassy asssitance, Polish experts are 
gaining from the U.S. experience in these areas. 
 
---------------------- 
¶5. Other Environmental 
---------------------- 
 
-- Poland recently joined the Methane to Markets International 
Partnership.  Post plans to capitalize on this new area of 
cooperation by encouraging Poles to share their expertise in the 
mining sector and also to cooperate on projects to learn from others 
how to better utilize methane for energy. 
 
-- On a regular basis the Ambassador makes an effort to visit 
national parks in Poland and encourage proper stewardship of nature. 
 The Ambassador sponsored the first reception ever by the Embassy 
for Poland's National Park Directors to highlight interest in this 
area. 
 
-- In 2006 a group of Polish national park directors participated in 
an International Visitor Leadership Program and post hopes to send 
another such group in 2007.  Such cooperation helps to prepare 
Poland's parks to deal with increased levels of urban encroachment 
and park visitors, while protecting Poland's diverse wildlife. 
 
-- PAS conducts a speaker's series that brings experts to Poland to 
speak on urban economic revitalization - topics addressed include 
environmental reclamation and protection, both things Poland has to 
grapple with as its economy is growing so rapidly. 
 
-- Post participates as a council member of the ECOFUND, a 
non-profit fund established substantially out of a portion of 
Poland's former debt to the United States at the time of its Paris 
club rescheduling.  The U.S. was, in effect, the largest donor to 
the fund, accounting for over half of its capital.  In 2007, the 
fund expects to help finance projects worth $30 million. 
 
---------- 
¶6. Science 
---------- 
 
WARSAW 00000563  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
 
-- A Department of Energy-funded project is underway to convert a 
Polish nuclear research reactor to low-enriched uranium from 
highly-enriched uranium.  Post works closely with all parties 
involved to ensure the process continues according to schedule. 
 
-- The Department of Energy is also funding a project to transport 
spent fuel from Poland's nuclear research reactor to Russia for 
safer storage. 
 
-- Post participated in the 10th annual Warsaw Science Picnic, 
displaying a photo exhibit "Mars: Mission Possible" and hosting an 
interactive demonstration of a miniature version of the Mars rover. 
 
-- Post is working with NASA to create an exhibit entitled "Return 
to the Moon" which will pair information about the first moon 
landing with the strategic plan to return to the moon in the next 
decade.  This exhibit will be used for the 2007 Warsaw Science 
Picnic, a large open air fair attended by as many as 100,000 people, 
for Satellite Days, organized by the Polish Academy of Science and 
the Polish Space Research Center to show the benefits of satellites 
and space research, and for events celebrating the 50th Anniversary 
of Space Exploration. 
 
---------------------- 
¶7. COMMERCIAL ADVOCACY 
---------------------- 
 
-- Post is supporting GE in its attempt to build a coal gasification 
power plant in Poland.  The potential $2 billion investment will 
take advantage of Poland's huge coal reserves (the largest in 
Europe) to provide a cleaner fuel for electric power generation.  GE 
is still negotiating with partners and hopes to have a feasibility 
study done in 2008, and then a facility up and running by 2013. 
 
-- Post is also involved in supporting Caterpillar Power Ventures in 
its investment dispute surrounding the production and sale of clean 
energy.  This $40 million environmentally sound cogeneration plant 
in Starachowice, Poland was completed in September 2004.  However, 
because of protracted and difficult negotiations with the Polish 
electricity regulator, the URE, to establish a viable tariff rate 
agreement, the power plant has not been paid for excess power sold 
to the national grid.  Despite considerable USG advocacy on 
Caterpillar's behalf, there is still no resolution and the plant has 
basically remained idle.  The latest proposal from the GOP involves 
new legislation in an Energy Law that might help resolve this 
longstanding issue. 
 
-------------- 
Action Request 
-------------- 
 
¶8.  The close cooperation various embassy sections have had with 
Polish counterparts in the areas of environment and science is 
evident as projects move forward.  Poles are eager to learn more 
about U.S. technologies and concerns in these areas and regularly 
seek contact with U.S. scientists and experts.  Any additional 
specific/technical information Washington can share with the field 
about USG initiatives would be welcome by Polish contacts. 
Additionally, Washington visitors focusing on these areas will find 
an attentive audience in Poland. 
 
¶9.  Specifically, post seeks the Department's assistance in 
identifying universities or labs where Polish engineers may conduct 
research on clean energy technologies, as mentioned in paragraph 3. 
 
ASHE