VZCZCXYZ0001
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0293/01 1040955
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 140955Z APR 07
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1702
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000293 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
WHITE HOUSE FOR CEQ CONNAUGHTON 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/11/2017 
TAGS: SENV ECON UNCSD
SUBJECT: USUN PERSPECTIVE ON CLIMATE CHANGE 
 
REF: A. USUN NEW YORK 276 
 
     ¶B. USUN NEW YORK 266 
     ¶C. USUN NEW YORK 246 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard T. Miller.  Reason: 1.4 (d). 
 
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Summary 
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¶1. (C) In the absence of a unifying focal point, climate 
change debates in the UN system are proliferating at a 
dizzying rate, with unpredictable and unwanted ramifications. 
This cable outlines strategies that USUN proposes to adopt 
in encouraging sensible and efficient UN handling of this 
contentious topic.  Based on our assessment of currents in 
New York, we also suggest some general substantive principles 
for any future negotiations that we believe could win broad 
UN support.  Adoption of these principles would allow the USG 
to shape this key debate to our optimal advantage and harness 
our natural allies.  End summary. 
 
------------------------------------ 
Climate Creep Pervades the UN System 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶2. (C) As a consequence of highly publicized recent 
scientific studies, an acclaimed documentary film, and a 
concerted campaign by European Union states and sympathetic 
UN agencies, climate change debates are proliferating 
throughout the entire UN system at a frenzied pace.  Notable 
examples include the Security Council discussion of climate 
change scheduled for April 17; the Secretary-General's 
announced plans to highlight climate change at several 
upcoming events (the Commission on Sustainable Development in 
April, the G-8 summit in June, the UNGA in September, and the 
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 
ministerial in December); the incoming General Assembly 
President's intent to have a thematic discussion and 
side-event on climate during or around the UNGA's General 
Debate (reftels), and the UN Development Program's projected 
November release of its opinionated 2007 Human Development 
Report.  Climate change likewise features prominently in two 
separate tracks of ongoing discussions of UN environmental 
governance reform.  Finally, debates continue to swirl on the 
idea of convening a formal "Climate Summit," pressure for 
which UNSYG Ban has recently noted will only intensify 
depending on the outcome of the December UNFCCC ministerial 
in Bali. 
 
----------------------------------- 
Bringing Order Out of Climate Chaos 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (C) In the face of this onslaught, and with the UNSYG's 
office already launching (at this stage by proxy) informal 
discussions on how the UN system should handle climate 
change, USUN proposes to adopt the following strategies, 
unless otherwise instructed, as the basis for our engagement 
to ensure efficient and rational treatment of these 
discussions in New York. 
 
-- Climate change must remain firmly rooted in sustainable 
development, rather than stand on a pedestal of its own or 
even as a "first among equals."  This view is deeply shared 
by developing states (G77) and ingrained in core UN 
instruments, but is under constant threat from EU initiatives 
notwithstanding lip-service to the contrary.  The 
controversial UK initiative to raise climate change in the 
UNSC is but a recent assault on this principle. 
 
-- Discussion within the UN system of climate change 
mitigation should remain the immediate province of the 
UNFCCC.  Debates in the UNGA and elsewhere must reinforce 
this principle in every instance, and defer to the UNFCCC any 
substantive engagement on the topic. 
 
-- If high-profile events such as a "Climate Summit" cannot 
win intergovernmental support in the UNFCCC, they must not be 
shifted to other fora.  The decision to convene such 
high-level events must go through the intergovernmental 
process if it is to have any legitimacy or prospect for a 
productive result. 
 
-- Climate change adaptation deserves to be a key component 
in discussions on the development agenda.  We can and should 
readily align ourselves with ideas to improve developing 
countries' capacities to respond to emerging problems, 
including disaster reduction and response.  As numerous UN 
 
agencies deal with either broad or narrowly focused aspects 
 
of development, the diffusion of climate change adaptation 
discussions in numerous UN fora is natural and should in fact 
be encouraged. 
 
-- There is no institutional justification for using climate 
change as a further reason to centralize UN environmental 
governance in a top-heavy, bureaucratized new entity such as 
the EU-proposed "UN Environmental Organization."  Efforts to 
link the two must be resisted. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
Addressing The Disease As Well As The Symptoms 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶4. (C) From our New York perspective, these strategies, as 
fundamental as they are, nevertheless address only the 
consequences of a larger root dilemma: the international 
community does not agree on what it knows about climate 
change, it does not agree on how to deal with what it thinks 
it knows, yet it strongly believes that it must do something, 
and something both visible and powerful, on the issue.  So in 
addition to the strategic issues identified above, we will 
also face repeatedly a substantive exploration of causes, 
consequences, and both mitigative and adaptive policies to 
address climate change and its effects. 
 
¶5. (C) Despite an aggressive minority's energetic campaign to 
steer and shape the debate in ways that could prove inimical 
to U.S. interests, the USG continues to have common cause 
with the majority of developing states and others who are 
alarmed at the possible consequences of climate change, but 
are also alarmed at European prescriptions that may have 
catastrophic economic consequences but only uncertain 
benefit.  This "silent majority," however, remains 
uncoordinated and in search of an alternative banner to that 
of the EU.  From our UN perch, it appears that the USG has 
ample prospective allies among sympathetic developing states 
such as China, Brazil and India, as well as Russia, Australia 
and other like-minded partners.  We suggest an aggressive 
effort to rally our climate allies around a negotiating 
position that conforms to the following principles. 
 
-- Any new climate change agreement must have universal 
application, if even within the standard UN formulation of 
"common but differentiated responsibility." 
 
-- An agreement must have a sound scientific basis that 
minimizes risk of unintended consequences that either do 
further harm to the environment or squander precious economic 
resources without discernible benefit. 
 
-- In order to be politically sustainable, any agreement must 
facilitate economic growth and development. 
 
-- Any agreement architecture must allow for maximum 
flexibility and diverse mechanisms for achieving agreed 
goals.  Exclusive reliance on top-down regulatory mechanisms 
will neither be acceptable nor achieve a comprehensive result. 
 
-- Technology transfer, scientific research and innovation 
are critical elements to addressing climate change, yet these 
elements alone rely heavily on private sector and non-state 
actors.  Any agreement architecture must acknowledge that 
reality and create (or at least protect) an environment that 
allows those activities to flourish. 
 
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A Prime Opportunity for Leadership 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) Based on our best judgment of international views in 
New York, and given the confluence of recent and upcoming 
events, pressures appear to be building inexorably for an 
overarching international effort to address both real and 
artificially inflated concerns on climate change.  The stakes 
to U.S. interests are significant, and the best way to 
protect those interests is to take a more active leadership 
role in the process. 
WOLFF