VZCZCXYZ0015
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0415/01 1452114
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 252114Z MAY 07
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0934
RUEHCH/AMEMBASSY CHISINAU 0057
RUEHHE/AMEMBASSY HELSINKI 0482
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1486
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 0971
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1724
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0805
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 8880
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 8288
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 2748
RUEHYD/AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE 0224
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 USUN NEW YORK 000415 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
MOSCOW ALSO FOR USDA - ALAN MUSTARD 
USDA WASHDC FOR FAS:LBARBIERI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON KGCC SENV EAID EAGR CH MD FI PK RS IN
KS, NL, JA, NZ, CM 
SUBJECT: U.S. BILATERALS AT THE UN COMMISSION ON 
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, MAY 9-11 
 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000415  001.2 OF 004 
 
 
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Summary 
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¶1. (U) Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Paula 
Dobriansky took advantage of the ministerial segment of the 
UN Commission on Sustainable Development's 15th Session 
(CSD-15) May 9-11 to conduct a number of bilateral 
discussions with key states, with climate change, energy and 
economic development being the main themes.  OES DAS 
Reifsnyder held separate bilaterals with Moldova and Cameroon 
that covered requests for assistance and investment.  End 
summary. 
 
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China 
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¶2. (U) Minister and Vice-Chairman of the National Development 
and Reform Commission Zhang Guobao underscored his country's 
desire to enhance bilateral cooperation on climate change and 
energy issues, and China's strong interest in acquiring new 
technology and expanding use of renewable energy sources. 
Zhang preached the theme of "common but differentiated 
responsibility" as the "equation" for determining the levels 
of climate change cooperation among developing and developed 
states, respectively.  Given the keen international attention 
on climate change at present, Zhang said it was important 
that China and the U.S. take "visible steps" to appease this 
global concern.  He also briefed on China's national 
anti-pollution strategies and targets, admitting that 
progress toward stated goals has been disappointing.  U/S 
Dobriansky applauded China's efforts and bilateral 
interaction, noting that the Asia-Pacific Partnership on 
Clean Development and Climate (APP) was a perfect 
illustration of the flexible and pragmatic cooperation that 
can be achieved to combat climate change.  Zhang closed with 
an appeal for increased technology transfer to boost energy 
efficiency and conservation, which is a key focus of his 
Commission.  Both sides looked forward to the upcoming round 
of the U.S.-China Strategic Economic Dialogue taking place in 
Washington, DC, later in May. 
 
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Russia 
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¶3. (U) Konstantin Pulikovskiy, head of the Russian Federal 
Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service (Rostechnadzor), 
expressed close affinity with U.S. positions on energy and 
climate change at the CSD.  He shared concern that European 
Union (EU) positions take an unduly restrictive attitude 
toward the diversity of energy sources nations will call upon 
to meet national needs, and feared that any multilateral 
negotiations on a post-Kyoto Protocol climate change 
framework agreement would waste several years to achieve an 
uncertain outcome, to the disadvantage of bilateral efforts 
that bear much more immediate and visible results. 
Underscoring his belief that energy independence was 
unattainable, Pulikovskiy stated that Russia would invest in 
renewable energy, biofuels, hydrogen and low-carbon fuels, 
and focus particularly on an "ambitious" nuclear energy plan. 
 Certain that government financing alone would be 
insufficient to develop these industries, Pulikovskiy made a 
plea for U.S. cooperation with his agency in this area. 
 
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Pakistan 
-------- 
 
¶4. (U) In a remark tracking closely with USG perspectives, 
Minister of Environment Malik Amin Aslam Khan expressed 
displeasure over the trends in international deliberations at 
the CSD, lamenting that too much time was wasted on lengthy 
and meaningless negotiation of new policy text when the true 
purpose of CSD should be to map implementation of previous 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000415  002.2 OF 004 
 
 
seminal development agreements like Agenda-21 and the World 
Summit on Sustainable Development.  Khan was particularly 
impatient with unrealistic EU ambitions, such as winning 
agreement on time-bound targets for the use of renewable 
energies.  In terms of Pakistan's national priorities, Khan 
said climate change considerations were forcing a 
re-examination of hydroelectric dams and nuclear energy, 
despite international opposition to such ideas in the past. 
He invited U.S. participation in forming an international 
consortium to help Pakistan develop its nuclear and 
hydroelectric ambitions. 
 
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India 
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¶5. (U) Secretary of Environment and Forestry Prodipto Ghosh 
lauded bilateral cooperation within the APP framework, saying 
that India was flexible on the dates of its hosting the APP 
Ministerial later this year if Secretary Rice's schedule 
could be accommodated to permit her attendance.  He was 
pleased with USG financing for Indian private sector projects 
within the APP mechanism, and was optimistic about ongoing 
negotiations with the EPA on a memorandum of understanding as 
well as scientific collaboration on bio-energy.  Ghosh was 
highly complimentary of cooperation with USAID, and noted the 
heavy private sector involvement in the APP's Cement Working 
Group session held in Delhi in April.  Looking forward to 
many further partnerships under the APP Fund, Ghosh beamed 
that the APP was finally "seeing real traction."  OES DAS 
Reifsnyder solicited Indian reaction to some USG proposals to 
commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Montreal Protocol on 
Substances that Deplete the Ozone with new initiatives. 
Ghosh promised a response, and looked forward to further 
enhancing the already vibrant bilateral cooperation on 
environmental issues. 
 
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South Korea 
----------- 
 
¶6. (U) ROK Minister of Environment Chi-Beom Lee 
enthusiastically praised bilateral cooperation within the APP 
framework, and requested details on the APP Ministerial later 
this year and other APP events.  In reaction to Canada's 
efforts to join an expanded APP, Lee was positive but noted 
that a consensus of all APP members was necessary.  He 
quickly turned the discussion to his main focus: working 
toward a multilateral climate change agreement for post-2012. 
 After U/S Dobriansky's lengthy intercession on the USG's 
long-standing approach toward climate change, Lee 
nevertheless insisted he detects a shift in the 
Administration's stance.  He said that any post-Kyoto 
agreement must encourage full participation, saying that 
developed economies must act if developing states are to be 
coaxed into participation as well.  He urged that there be no 
gap between the Kyoto Protocol's commitment period and 
whatever multilateral agreement follows it.  Lee closed the 
meeting, however, voicing shared concern with the U.S. over 
EU proposals to place a carbon tax on international air 
travel. 
 
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Japan 
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¶7. (U) Vice Minister for Global Environmental Affairs Toshiro 
Kojima devoted his bilateral meeting almost entirely to 
climate change concerns.  He was complimentary of bilateral 
cooperation on energy and climate, and noted Japan's concerns 
over the EU agenda ahead of the June G-8 Summit in Germany, 
about which Prime Minister Abe shared views recently with 
President Bush.  Kojima urged the U.S. to embrace Japan's 
counter-proposal to the EU's declared target of reducing 
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 20 percent by 2020 with 
Tokyo's alternate of reducing GHG 50 percent by 2050.  He 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000415  003.2 OF 004 
 
 
likened that voluntary commitment to President Kennedy's 
proposal for putting a man on the Moon, saying such an 
overarching vision is necessary to win funding for the 
technological innovations that will be needed to reach the 
target.  Kojima also expressed skepticism over the EU's 
over-reliance on a carbon market to address climate change. 
Japan is studying the EU experience as well as efforts by 
various U.S. states before designing a plan for possibly 
adopting a carbon market in Japan.  The Vice Minister also 
expressed opposition to the EU's "unfair" idea of putting a 
carbon tax on air travel. 
 
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The Netherlands 
--------------- 
 
¶8. (U) After some conversation over the pace of CSD 
negotiations on an outcome document, Dutch Minister of 
Housing, Planning and Environment Jacqueline Cramer pressed 
her views on the need for more coherent, collective 
action--particularly by developed states--to win progress on 
a new multilateral climate change agreement during the 
December session in Bali of the UN Framework Convention on 
Climate Change (UNFCCC).  She was likewise concerned that 
more concerted donor efforts were required to make progress 
in achieving UN targets on poverty reduction.  The Minister 
cited strong domestic consumer support in the Netherlands for 
establishing and policing environmental and sustainable 
development standards for imported biofuels, preferably 
through a multilateral mechanism.  Cramer and her delegation 
was surprised to find that there was no similar upwelling of 
consumer concern in the U.S. despite hearing that biofuels in 
the U.S. are overwhelmingly from domestic sources, in stark 
contrast to her country.  She predicted that European debate 
over the sustainability of Indonesian and Brazilian biofuel 
production would prompt further intergovernmental discussions. 
 
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Finland 
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¶9. (U) Trade and Development Minister Paavo Vayrynen devoted 
much of his remarks to the EU's ambitious agenda at CSD for 
getting time-bound targets for the use of renewable energy 
into the outcome document, despite overwhelming opposition 
from many developing states.  Like the Korean Environment 
Minister, Vayrynen insisted that he detected policy shifts on 
climate change on the part of the USG, even if couched in 
terms of "energy security."  He likewise noted growing 
concern over biofuels, in particular their impact on world 
food prices.  The Minister sought further detail on the USG's 
recent announcement of its intention to host the Washington 
International Renewable Energy Conference in March 2008, 
expressing strong interest in participation for both the 
Finnish government and private sector.  Vayrynen closed by 
remarking that the new government in Finland plans to "reach 
out" to the U.S. even more than had the previous government. 
 
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New Zealand 
----------- 
 
¶10. (U) David Parker, Minister for Energy and Minister 
Responsible for Climate Change, commented on the "sea change" 
in New Zealanders' sentiments toward climate change of late, 
overcoming earlier skepticism of the Kyoto Protocol following 
the U.S. and Australia's decisions not to ratify it.  New 
scientific reports, natural disasters in the Pacific region, 
and Australia's calamitous drought fed popular concern, 
including among parliamentarians and the private sector.  The 
Minister said he detected a similar growing public interest 
among Americans.  Parker said that New Zealand has a wealth 
of renewable energy sources that make resorting to nuclear 
energy unnecessary, but he voiced support for carbon capture 
and sequestration.  He advocates better internalizing the 
costs of carbon by market mechanisms, citing that as the most 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000415  004.2 OF 004 
 
 
efficient and affordable approach.  Parker said the Clean 
Development Mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol are a useful 
tool but need considerable recrafting to avoid spending 
precious funds to address problems that governments could 
easily handle administratively.  Both New Zealand and 
Australia, he said, agree with USG concerns that incentives 
need to be improved to halt deforestation.  Asked about 
possibly joining the U.S.-sponsored Coalition Against 
Wildlife Trafficking, the Minister's delegation voiced 
interest but said they would have to study further the 
funding and personnel resources that joining CAWT might 
entail. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
OES DAS Reifsnyder Bilaterals with Moldova, Cameroon 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶11. (U) Also on the margins of the CSD-15 ministerial 
segment, OES Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environment Dan 
Reifsnyder responded to bilateral meeting requests from 
Moldova's Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources 
Constantin Mihailescu and Cameroon Minister of Planning and 
Development Augustin Kodock.  Mihailescu was strongly 
complimentary of bilateral cooperation with USAID, but voiced 
need for further cooperation in specific agricultural areas: 
weather monitoring and forecasting, non-traditional and 
organic agriculture, and dealing with agricultural waste from 
the country's renowned viticulture.  Moldova plans to host a 
regional conference in September 2008 to examine the factors 
that contribute to weather variability with further hopes of 
establishing a regional center for long-term forecasting. 
DAS Reifsnyder noted that the issue of a world conference on 
seasonal to interannual climate prediction would be taken up 
in June by the World Meteorological Organization and urged 
Moldovan support for this focus.  He undertook to pass the 
Moldovan request to relevant USG agencies and likewise urged 
the Minister to work closely with Embassy Chisinau. 
 
¶12. (U) Cameroon Planning Minister Kodock focused his remarks 
on his country's need for external financing for the 
construction of two additional hydroelectric dams.  Kodock 
noted that U.S. firm AES Sonel is currently operating a gas 
turbine power plant while a British concern is nearing 
completion of a hydroelectric facility.  While a construction 
firm has yet to be identified for the two new hydro plants, 
the Minister said his main focus was on lining up financing. 
He noted, however, that Cameroon intended to develop these 
plants as private sector ventures as opposed to having them 
be built and operated by the government.  He acknowledged 
there were some environmental concerns from certain quarters 
over the hydro projects, but assured there were no 
transboundary water issues at stake.  If constructed, the two 
additional hydro stations would add approximately 250MW to 
Cameroon's production capacity and possibly permit limited 
export of electricity to Equatorial Guinea or the Central 
African Republic.  Cameroon's own transmission network could 
use upgrading, however, according to Kodock.  (Note: Kodock 
requested bilaterals of several European and Western 
missions, apparently for the same purposes.  End note.) 
KHALILZAD