VZCZCXRO1607
RR RUEHRG
DE RUEHBR #0131/01 0251920
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 251920Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0927
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
INFO RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 1518
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 5731
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 7643

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRASILIA 000131 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR G-D.ROCHBERG, OES/EGC-E.FENDLEY AND D.NELSON 
DEPT PASS TO CEQ FOR R.DIXON AND M.MILLS AND A.SCHMITZ 
ENERGY DEPARTMENT FOR S.EULE - CLIMATE CHANGE PROGRAM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV KGHG SENV ENRG KSCA BR
SUBJECT: MAJOR ECONOMIES MEETING II: BRAZIL DELEGATION 
 
REF: A) STATE 5908, B) BRASILIA 97, C) 2007 BRASILIA 1952 
 
¶1.  (U) THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED AND NOT FOR 
INTERNET DISTRIBUTION. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY.  The Brazilian delegation to the second Major 
Economies Meeting (MEM2) in Honolulu has changed little in terms of 
personnel.  What we do see, however, is a remarkable change in terms 
of their interest in seeing the Major Economies process work - 
within the UN framework -- and optimism about the ability for this 
process to make a contribution.  END SUMMARY. 
 
DELEGATION MEMBERS AND LOGISTICAL MATTERS 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Ambassador Everton Vieira Vargas, the Under Secretary for 
Policy in the Ministry of Exterior Relations (MRE), will head up the 
Brazilian delegation to the second Major Economies Meeting (MEM2) in 
Hawaii, January 29-31.  The rest of the delegation consists of: 
 
-- MRE, Ambassador Sergio Barbosa Serra, Special Representative for 
Climate Change 
-- MRE, First Secretary Andr Odenbreit Carvalho, Director, Division 
of Division for Environmental Policy and Sustainable Development 
-- Ministry of the Environment - Dr. Thelma Krug, Secretary for 
Climate Change and Environmental Quality 
-- Ministry of Science and Technology - Dr. Jose Domingos Gonzalez 
Miguez, Executive Secretary, Interministerial Commission on Global 
Climate Change 
-- MCT - Dr. Newton Paciornik, Technical Advisor, General 
Coordination to Global Climate Change 
 
(Note.  Dr. Krug's husband, Mario Fumo Aoki, will be accompanying 
her on the trip.  End Note.) 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The Embassy has delivered as received the invitation 
letter and the various materials provided by Washington, including 
those referred to in REFTEL A.  ESTH Counselor informed the 
Brazilians about the two workshops to be held on January 29.  They 
have designated: 
 
-- Paciornik to represent Brazil at the Workshop on Emissions, and 
-- Odenbreit to represent Brazil at the Workshop on Clean 
Technologies. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The Brazilian delegation has made reservations at the 
Sheraton Waikiki. 
 
¶6.  (U) MRE has informed Post that they would not need 
interpretation into Portuguese. 
 
BRAZILIAN PERSPECTIVE ON MEM PROCESS AND ON HAWAII MEETING 
 
¶7.  (SBU) At a January 12 meeting, Vargas told the Ambassador that 
he would be heading the Brazilian delegation to MEM2. (REFTEL B) 
ESTH Counselor met with the other members of the GOB delegation. 
The mood of the delegation was upbeat and optimistic.  This tone is 
a far cry from their disappointment coming out of the MEM in 
Washington in September and before the Conference of the Parties to 
the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Bali in 
December.  (See REFTEL C)  Serra and Krug in separate meetings each 
attributed this new tone to (1) the clarity that the MEM process is 
subordinate to and feeds into the UNFCCC process, and (2) the USG 
willingness joining consensus on the Bali Plan of Action.  Serra was 
particularly taken by the fact that the MEM2 draft agenda included 
the subtitle "Developing a Detailed Contribution in Support of the 
Bali Roadmap for UN Negotiations". 
 
¶8.  (SBU) The delegation members bring differing perspectives to the 
climate change process.  Miguez, who heads the interministerial 
efforts on clean technologies, showed support for the USG's emphasis 
on developing transformational technology.  Miguez noted that he had 
a long history of worked with U.S. counterparts on technology and 
looked forward to strengthening this relationship in the future.  On 
the other hand, Krug - acknowledging that technology will play an 
important role - stressed the need to look at other means to reduce 
C02 emissions. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) MRE and MCT members of the delegation were interested in 
the role of the expert workshops and how they will feed into the MEM 
process.  Since they will be able to have a participant at each of 
the workshops, the initial bout of anxiety appears to have ended. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Serra seemed concerned that the MEM meetings give other 
countries opportunities to reach out to the press.  He said the GOB 
 
BRASILIA 00000131  002 OF 002 
 
 
had been disappointed in the arrangements at the meeting in 
Washington.  In Hawaii and at future meetings, they would like a 
representative from each country on the first day to make a brief 
presentation with the press there.  Also, at any press conference, 
they want to have their representative there as a participant and 
not merely sitting in the audience as an observer. 
 
¶11.  (SBU) Serra urged that MEM2 and the MEM process not give short 
shrift to "adaptation" and give it something closer to the time and 
attention of "mitigation". 
 
¶12.  (SBU) Krug suggested that the MEM process stay focused within 
the four priorities identified by the UNFCC (mitigation, adaptation, 
technology, and financing).  Surprisingly, neither Krug nor anyone 
else on the Brazilian delegation voiced any concern about the 
inclusion of forests on the agenda.  Comment.  Often Brazilian 
officials are sensitive about discussing forests and in this 
environment with only one other developing country with tropical 
forests (Indonesia) they might have been particularly reluctant to 
have this on the agenda.  End Comment. 
 
¶13.  (SBU)  Comment.  Although the GOB delegation is by and large 
the same as went to Washington in September, the tone and 
expectations seem much improved.  The Brazilians seem to be going to 
Honolulu with a view to try to make the MEM process make a real 
contribution to the UNFCCC process.  End Comment. 
 
SOBEL