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FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2712
INFO RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 8614
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 6778
RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 2951
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 4019
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
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RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRASILIA 001393 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR H, WHA/EPSC F.CORNEILLE, E G.MANUEL,EEB: MMCMANUS 
NSC FOR TOMASULO 
USDOC FOR SECRETARY GUTIERREZ 
USDOC ALSO FOR 3134/USFCS, 4332/ITA/MAC/WH/OLAC 
DOE FOR AD/S KUPFER, GARY WARD, AMY CHIANG, CAROLYN GAY, RHIA DAVIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OVIP ECON ENRG EAGR BR
SUBJECT:  BRAZIL:  INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BIOFUELS, NOVEMBER 
17-21, 2008, SAO PAULO 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY.  The Government of Brazil (GOB) is hosting an 
International Conference on Biofuels from November 17 through 21 in 
Sao Paulo.  Brazilian President Lula will speak twice at the 
conference; and President Bush has been invited to participate. 
Post and the GOB hope to have the U.S. represented as strongly as 
possible, including high level Department of Commerce, Department of 
Energy, and Congressional participation.  The conference is an 
attempt by Brazil to redirect the policy debate on biofuels to a 
focus more compatible with the types of cooperative efforts we have 
undertaken bilaterally.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  The Government of Brazil (GOB) will put on an International 
Conference on Biofuels from November 17 through 21 in Sao Paulo. 
The Ministry of External Relations'(MRE) Director of the Energy 
Department, Andre do Lago, has been briefing representatives from 
the various embassies about this conference. 
 
¶3.  According to  do Lago, the GOB has  invited all members of the 
United Nations to send a high-level delegation to this conference, 
which is a presidential initiative.  The conference will be split 
into a technical portion for the first three days (November 17-19) 
followed by a two-day ministerial meeting (November 20-21). 
Brazilian President Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva is scheduled to speak 
twice, at the end of the technical portion on November 19 and the 
conclusion of the ministerial session on November 21. 
 
PARTICIPANTS 
 
¶4.  These are still early days for finalizing the participants, 
though  do Lago suggests that  there may be over 1,000 and some 
officials talk of over 2,000 participants.  Do Lago said that they 
already have confirmation of ministers from 24 countries coming and 
that he expected representatives from up to 100 countries.  Post has 
learned that the Australian Prime Minister and the Philippines 
President currently plan to attend.  European participation may be 
low; Germany, for instance, does not plan to send a minister.  At 
the briefing,  do Lago noted the article in the newspaper saying 
that President Bush was planning on attending.  (NOTE: Subsequent 
press reports on a telephone conversation between Presidents Bush 
and Lula have indicated that President Bush may have to decline the 
invitation due to the current financial crisis.  END NOTE.) 
 
¶5.  Invited U.S. speakers for the first three days are: Daniel 
Yergin (pending confirmation)as moderator for the biofuels and 
energy security discussion; Amartya Sen, Nobel Prize winner, as 
moderator for the session on market development; and Professor Steve 
Chu, Nobel Prize winning Stanford Professor as a panelist on 
biofuels and international innovation. 
 
TOPICS AND STRUCTURE 
 
¶6.  There will be five topics on the program at both the technical 
level and the ministerial portion:  (1) biofuels and energy 
security; (2) biofuels and climate change; (3) sustainability; (4) 
research and development; and (5) biofuels and international market 
(trade rules, environmental aspects, etc.).  The technical portions 
will involve panels with a Brazilian moderator and an international 
rapporteur.  The reports from the technical sessions will form the 
basis of discussion for the high-level government sessions.  The 
first three days will be open to the public.  The high level 
governmental events which could include up to 140 representatives, 
depending on delegations participating, with an in room audience of 
200, will be broadcast by closed circuit television to the other 
attendees. The last day, November 21, will feature a speech by 
President Lula, and if he were to come, a speech by President Bush. 
 
 
PRIVATE SECTOR, LEGISLATORS AND SIDE EVENTS 
 
¶7.  Do Lago said that the GOB wanted the private sector, as well as 
NGOs and the academic community, present and participating through 
side events.  The Brazilian export promotion agency (APEX) plans to 
have a trade fair on biofuels at the same time, at a hotel across 
the street and the Brazilian ethanol trade association UNICA is also 
planning a private sector meeting during the conference.  Also, 
during the Biofuels Steering Committee Meeting with Under Secretary 
Reuben Jeffery earlier that same day, the Steering Committee agreed 
 
BRASILIA 00001393  002 OF 002 
 
 
to hold a meeting on the margins of the conference, including the 
private sector advisory committee. 
 
¶8.  The Brazilian Senate is inviting legislators from around the 
world to attend the conference and participate in a side event on 
the afternoon of November 19.  Securing U.S. participation is 
proving to be problematic.  As of October 15, apparently no U.S. 
legislators had accepted, , according to Thalis Murrieta, Advisor to 
Brazilian Biofuels Senate Subcommittee Chairman, and the person 
tasked with coordinating the event.  (NOTE: This lack of positive 
response could be due in part to conflicts with the schedule for 
Congressional reorganization.  END NOTE.)  In a separate meeting, 
Murrieta told Econoff that though the Brazilians have secured 
participation from German, Swiss, Brazilian, African, and U.K. 
panelists, they have not yet accepted the UK offer because they are 
hoping to maintain that spot for a U.S. legislator instead.  Many 
other countries are also registered to have delegations attending 
the event.  Murrieta stresses that without the presence of the 
United States as the world's largest producer of ethanol and 
Brazil's major biofuels ally, the event will miss an opportunity to 
have a significant impact on how legislatures globally address the 
topic.  The legislative organizers, who had been working through the 
Brazilian Embassy in Washington, have requested U.S. assistance in 
lining up a participant for this session.  (NOTE: Embassy is 
reaching out to some likely candidates and would appreciate 
department assistance in securing someone to represent the U.S. in 
an event which could have long term repercussions for the world 
ethanol market. END NOTE.) 
 
¶9.  Post is also looking for participants who could make a valuable 
contribution to the discussions in the side events as well, and 
would welcome Washington input.  These events include: 
 
- Meeting presided over by the Economic and Social Development 
Council-CDES (Nov. 17) 
 
- Luncheon hosted by the MRE for specialists in biofuels from 
International Organizations (Nov. 18) 
 
- Meeting presided over by the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and the 
University of Sco Paulo (Nov. 18) 
 
- Luncheon hosted by the Getulio Vargas Foundation (Nov. 19) 
 
WEBSITE AND POINTS OF CONTACT 
 
 
¶10.  The MRE has just set up a website for information on the 
conference: http://www.biofuels2008.mre.gov.br which includes the 
program. 
 
¶11. COMMENT:  Post believes that Brazil taking a leading role on 
redirecting the policy debate is a positive development, one that we 
should support and encourage.  High level U.S. presence at this 
event will serve to reinforce the Brazilian effort to shift the 
international view of biofuels to, according to the conference 
subtitle, biofuels as a driving force for sustainable development. 
Given U.S. and Brazilian cooperation on sustainability in 
international fora recently, as well as MRE's repeated reassurances, 
it appears that the GOB has decided not to try to differentiate 
sugar from corn ethanol.  Instead they appear to have chosen to 
stand side by side with the U.S. in countering critics of ethanol 
and working together to create a global marketplace for ethanol. 
Brazil is relying on U.S. participation to help bring international 
attention and lend credibility to the event.  Post is hoping we 
won't miss the opportunity to shape the debate, help create a global 
marketplace for biofuels, and continue to solidify a deepening 
bilateral relationship with energy security and geopolitical 
implications.  Post requests high level participation from the 
Commerce Department and the Energy Department to help ensure that we 
use this opportunity to define biofuels as a clean energy 
alternative with great commercial opportunities, as well assistance 
in securing appropriate Congressional representation. 
 
SOBEL