VZCZCXRO6079
RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHHE #0256 0951332
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 051332Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY HELSINKI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3221
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS HELSINKI 000256 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV ENRG TRGY FI
SUBJECT: "CLIMATE CHANGE MAKES THE EU RELEVANT TO ITS 
CITIZENS" - RESULTS FROM CLIMATE CHANGE SEMINAR 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: On March 22 Econoff participated in the 
"Putting A Cost On Carbon ) Where to Post 2012?" Climate 
Change Seminar at the British Embassy in Helsinki.  Though 
seminar participants often cited the U.S. as dragging its 
feet on climate change issues a-la-Kyoto, they also 
positively noted U.S. progress on climate change-mitigating 
measures including action at the state level and bills that 
the U.S. Congress is reviewing.  The EU,s focus, and 
perceived leadership, on climate change may make it more 
relevant to average EU citizens.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Sponsored by the British Embassy, the Seminar 
included presentations from Finnish and British government 
officials, EU Commission representatives, as well as think 
tank and private industry stakeholders.  Several participants 
stressed that engaging the U.S. and China on climate change 
issues comes down to the international community emphasizing 
the strong connection between security of energy supply and 
climate change.  GOF and UK government officials continued to 
hold up Kyoto, and a binding post-2012 global emissions 
trading scheme, as the solution to reversing greenhouse gas 
emissions.  Kate Hampton, Service and Policy Manager at 
London-based Climate Change Capital said EU courage in 
addressing climate change is causing the U.S., particularly 
at the state level, to modify its climate change policies. 
She continued by suggesting that the EU,s focus on climate 
change makes it more relevant to average EU citizens and that 
EU leadership on climate change issues is a source of pride 
for Europeans. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Participants made positive comments about several 
climate change-mitigating bills under consideration by the 
110th Congress.  The State of California was highlighted as a 
strong regional model for the U.S. and EU alike. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Providing the GOF view of the EU's 20 percent 
renewable energy goal, Taisto Turunen, Director General from 
the Ministry of Trade and Industry, said Finland sees itself 
as a "special case deserving special treatment" and hence a 
lower target when the EU sets its individual country 
renewable targets.  Turunen believes a lower target is 
supported by Finland,s northern geography, its relatively 
high use of renewable energy sources already, and its limited 
ability to drastically increase production from other 
renewable energy sources such as hydropower.  Renewables 
already account for over 25 percent of Finland,s energy 
needs. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Ian Kerns, Deputy Director of the Institute of 
Public Policy Research in London, highlighted the holes in 
the EU,s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) including weak 
quotas and the EU's lack of a clear framework for 
enforcement.  He suggested that a change of individual 
behavior and habits is ultimately needed for lasting 
reductions of emissions to take place.  Kerns concluded by 
saying that &pop-culture8 attention will likely have a 
stronger ability to change behavior than politicians and 
trading schemes. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Though the overall tone of the meeting was quite 
positive, participants frequently lapsed into blaming the 
U.S. for issues related to climate change.  This was 
characterized by one participant who vaguely blamed the U.S. 
for inefficiencies within the EU,s own Emissions Trading 
Scheme.  Econoff took this as an opportunity to correct the 
record and to publicly defend U.S. leadership on climate 
change and energy issues, citing several international 
organizations the U.S. participates in including the Asia 
Pacific Partnership and the Methane to Markets. 
Unfortunately, the U.S. continues to be viewed as an easy 
target on climate change issues. 
WARE