VZCZCXRO7066
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDF RUEHHM RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHMA
RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHTM
DE RUEHFR #2184 3380740
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 030740Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4949
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCNMUC/EU CANDIDATE STATES COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS PARIS 002184 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV ENRG KGHG EU FR
SUBJECT: FRENCH ENVIRONMENT NEGOTIATOR UNDERSTANDS US ENGAGEMENT IN 
DECEMBER NEGOTIATIONS 
 
REF:  A) State 119282 
 B) State 99217 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: French climate negotiator Brice Lalonde told EMIN 
that he understands that the new administration will need time to 
organize and he looks forward to working with Under Secretary 
Dobriansky in Poznan.  EMIN also explained our position on the EU 
Renewable Fuels Directive, especially biofuels.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) On November 21, Brice Lalonde, the French principal climate 
negotiator, told EMIN and ESTH Counselor that he understands the 
background conveyed in REF A.  Lalonde suggested that the new 
administration use new words, such as those used in the 
President-Elect's comments to the bipartisan governors' conference, 
to create an atmosphere in which the other nations would be more 
willing to make concessions. Lalonde said that Poznan will be most 
important for laying out a work agenda leading to the Copenhagen 
conference.  UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is said to want two or 
three heads of state meetings on climate change to provide 
authoritative guidance to negotiators.  The GOF believes that the 
USG should host the final ministerial before Copenhagen.  Some are 
speculating that the US may want to first pass domestic legislation 
before committing to an international agreement.  Finally, Lalonde 
hopes that the Major Economies Meetings (MEM) will continue to be 
convened during the year.  Lalonde asserted that "China is key" to a 
Copenhagen protocol, and in an economic downturn, European industry, 
already fatigued, will not agree to indirectly subsidize Chinese 
industry. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) EMIN closed by explaining the US position on the proposed 
EU Renewable Fuels directive, especially the section on the criteria 
for biofuels, where trade barriers might be erected against some 
kinds of foreign biofuels by using non-scientific criteria.  Lalonde 
was familiar with OECD work in this area, and hoped that the EU 
domestic politics would facilitate a scientifically-based 
directive. 
 
Stapleton