VZCZCXYZ0022
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBO #0294/01 0291603
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 291603Z JAN 09 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6738
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 8605
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1578
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ JAN LIMA 6938
RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA 2929
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 7636

UNCLAS BOGOTA 000294 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV PGOV CO
SUBJECT: COLOMBIA INCREASES FOCUS ON CLIMATE CHANGE IN 
LEAD-UP TO COPENHAGEN COP 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY.  Despite accounting for less than 0.3 
percent of global emissions, the Colombian Ministry of 
Environment (MOE) has placed increasing priority on climate 
change issues due to growing concerns of the impact on 
Colombia,s glaciers, coastal plains, and biodiversity.  The 
MOE has increased the budget of its Office of Climate Change 
Mitigation (OCCM) by 400 percent in 2008 and added staff. 
Environment Minister Juan Lozano told us the OCCM exists 
directly under his management, given the importance of the 
issue.  The new resources have enabled the OCCM to develop 
Colombia's first National Climate Change Policy, promote 
Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects, and aspire for a 
larger role in United Nations Climate Change (UNFCCC) 
discussions.  The GOC plans to issue a point-by-point 
Colombia position paper well in advance of December's COP in 
Copenhagen. Much of this invigorated effort may be attributed 
to the personal efforts of Minister Lozano, and it is unclear 
whether this commitment is shared by his more powerful 
colleagues in the GOC bureaucracy  .  END SUMMARY. 
 
Low Overall Emissions 
--------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) With hydroelectric projects providing 70 percent of 
Colombia's power, Colombia accounts for 0.24 percent of 
global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.  Emissions are low per 
capita and per unit of GDP.  According to Klaus Schutze of 
Colombia's Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and 
Environmental Studies (IDEAM), agriculture ranks as the 
single biggest GHG emitting sector in Colombia, due to 
inefficient farming practices.  As for methane, 80 percent of 
emissions come from coal mining and exploration.  Regardless, 
Colombia's GHG emissions remain among the lowest in the 
region and below those of Brazil, Mexico and Argentina. 
Lozano told EconCouns that contributing to mitigation efforts 
is a GOC priority, even though Colombia considers itself a 
"victim" of climate change. 
 
Climate Change Effects Significant 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) According to Maria Cristina Duran, Environmental 
Program Director of Colombia's Science & Technology Research 
Institute (Colciencias), GOC research forecasts climate 
change will most negatively impact Colombia's Andean mountain 
regions (including glaciers, forests and wetlands) and 
coastal areas.  In Colombia's First Kyoto Communication in 
2001, the GOC targeted those two specific ecosystems as most 
vulnerable.  Duran said that since 1980 Colombia's seven 
remaining glaciers have reduced in size by approximately 2.5 
percent each year, while rising sea levels threaten coastal 
populations and harm marine life.  The melting of glaciers 
also reduces the reserves available for the hydroelectric 
plants Colombia relies upon.  Duran stated that Colciencias 
increased its number of climate change/natural disaster 
research grants to 16 in 2008 (an increase of 60 percent 
since 2007) to gather more impact data, but acknowledged the 
need for much more research given the immensity of the 
subject. 
 
MOE Dramatically Increases Funding 
For Climate Change 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) To address the aforementioned problems, the MOE has 
increased the budget of its Office of Climate Change 
Mitigation (OCCM) by 400 percent and hired eight new officers 
during 2008.  Lozano told EconCouns that climate change was a 
top priority for the MOE, with the OCCM situated directly 
under his management.  He said the MOE was striving to 
increase engagement on the issue from all GOC ministries, as 
the GOC could not ask other countries to take steps to 
promote mitigation that it was not doing itself.  The MOE 
created the OCCM with three officers in 2002, but according 
to OCCM Director Andrea Guerrero the MOE barely had funds to 
pay those salaries and none for program costs.  Guerrero now 
says the office has adequate funding to support new outreach 
and project initiatives.  She attributes the new 
prioritization of climate change issues to Lozano's focus and 
the global attention focused on the issue.  Schutze 
cautioned, however, that while high level interest in climate 
change had definitely increased, education and concern 
amongst the general population is still minimal. 
 
New Climate Change Policy In 2009 
 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) In addition to dedicating more resources, the MOE 
plans to announce a new national climate change policy soon. 
This policy, which Colombia's 2006-2010 National Development 
Plan mandated the MOE to create, is now with Colombia's 
Planning Ministry (DNP) for approval.  The policy lays out 
mitigation and adaptation requirements for the five sectors 
listed in Annex A to the Kyoto Protocol: energy, industrial 
processes, waste management, solvent and other product use, 
and agriculture.  No such climate policy nor law presently 
exists in Colombia.  Lozano said the policy will establish 
the institutional framework to centralize the issue amongst 
all GOC ministries, with the MOE as the leading institution. 
The policy will institutionally mandate the involvement of 
all cabinet offices.  Lozano was optimistic that DNP will 
approve the policy by early 2009, despite possible push-back 
from the Ministry of Mines & Energy, with other ministry 
approvals completed by mid-2009. 
 
Clean Development Mechanism Projects 
Take Root 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶6. (SBU) Meanwhile, the MOE is advancing 109 Clean 
Development Mechanism (CDM) projects across the five Kyoto 
Protocol Annex A sectors.  Colombia currently has 32 
registered CDM projects (including nationally and UN 
registered projects), up from 17 in 2007.  The remaining 77 
are approved projects in the initiation stage.  Energy 
comprises 35 percent of the projects, primarily focused on 
hydroelectric initiatives.  Guerrero stated that Colombia 
ranks fourth in Latin America in the number of CDM-approved 
projects.  The OCCM began weekly consultations with industry 
in September 2008 to bring more companies on board, increase 
the number of functioning CDM projects and to acquire 
industry input on policy.  Guerrero believes that recent OCCM 
efforts to make industry aware of Colombia,s tax exemption 
for GHG reduction technologies is one of the reasons CDM 
projects have increased rapidly during the past year. 
 
Striving To Be Heard In Kyoto Discussions 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶7. (SBU) Four representatives from Colombia, including 
Lozano, attended the December 2008 UN Climate Change 
Convention in Poland.  Guerrero told us that in the past she 
was the only official to travel to international meetings, 
but that Lozano now plans to participate in all high-level 
climate change negotiations.  Due to their increased 
resources and expertise, the OCCM aspires to move Colombia 
toward taking a more vocal and powerful role within UNFCCC 
discussions.  Lozano stated, however, that the size and 
diverse nature of the G-77 limits the GOC from having 
negotiating power, especially vis-a-vis larger players such 
as Brazil, China, India and South Africa.  He added that the 
Latin American bloc (GRULAC) is not unified and is unable to 
present a common front within G-77 discussions.  When asked 
who Colombia's closest allies are in the UNFCCC, he responded 
that "we have no consistent allies; they shift depending upon 
the particular issue." 
 
Disappointed With Poznan, But Looking 
Ahead To Copenhagen 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Lozano told us that he was frustrated by the lack 
of progress at Poznan, recognizing that it was difficult to 
expect significant progress during the U.S. political 
transition.  Guerrero said that Colombia was concerned over 
the stalemate on the adaptation fund, particularly developed 
country resistance toward instituting levies on Joint 
Implementation and Emissions Trading projects as a source of 
additional revenue for the fund.  Lozano indicated that the 
GOC tactic would be to issue a detailed policy paper on every 
key Copenhagen issue well in advance of the COP.  He believes 
that this will not only provide clarity to the GOC position, 
but will allow Colombia to wield more influence in G-77 
discussions.  Guerrero said adaptation financing, as well as 
reducing emissions from deforestation and technology 
transfer, would be their key Copenhagen issues. 
 
COMMENT: Noble Intentions, But is the Rest 
of Government on Board? 
------------------------------------------ 
 
 
¶9. (SBU) As evidenced by the increase in resources and 
initiatives, climate change has become an important policy 
focus for the MOE.  In great part, the new resources, 
personnel, and attention stem directly from Lozano's personal 
involvement.  Lozano's goal is to increase the GOC, not 
simply the MOE, emphasis on climate change. Climate has not 
traditionally been a priority issue for the GOC (witness the 
size of their negotiating team), and it is unclear whether 
Loazno's enthusiasm is shared much beyond MOE walls.  Since 
there has been no interagency process for determining climate 
policy, Lozano has been able to move forward aggressively 
under the radar.  As he tries to extend the reach of 
Colombian climate policy, we expect that he will run into 
resistance from more heavyweight ministries such as Defense, 
Finance, Trade and Agriculture. 
 
BROWNFIELD