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RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLO #0217/01 0261205
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 261205Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY LONDON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1171
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1115
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 2696
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0399
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 0375
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 2792
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0850
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 1214
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 3351
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 3803
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0579
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1209

UNCLAS LONDON 000217 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ENRG PGOV PREL UK
SUBJECT: AGREEMENT TO LAUNCH THE INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP 
FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY COOPERATION (IPEEC) 
 
¶1. (SBU)  Summary.  Energy Ministers (or representatives) 
from major energy consuming countries (G8, Brazil, the 
People's Republic of China, India, the Republic of Korea, and 
Mexico), along with the European Union (EU) and International 
Energy Agency (IEA) agreed on December 18, 2008 to launch the 
International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation 
(IPEEC).  This international agreement follows on the initial 
steps of the Energy Ministers' Declaration for the IPEEC in 
Aomori, Japan on June 8, 2008.  As agreed by the members, the 
IPEEC will seek to enhance cost-effective ways to promote 
energy efficiency to address energy security, climate change, 
and economic growth challenges.  The projected timeframe for 
the actual launch of IPEEC is February 2009.  The IEA will 
host IPEEC, but will not direct its work.  After members 
provided comments, all approved the joint statement of the 
IPEEC and its formal launch.  End summary. 
 
OPENING REMARKS FROM THE UK AND JAPAN 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) UK Minister of Energy Mike O'Brien co-hosted the 
IPEEC Ministerial Meeting and stressed at the beginning of 
the meeting that "energy efficiency has never been more 
important."  He called for cooperation in launching the IPEEC 
early in 2009 and noted IPEEC's goals are in line with the 
UK's energy policy. IPEEC Chair and Japanese Minister of 
Economy, Trade and Industry Toshihiro Nikai called on member 
countries to enhance energy efficiency policies through 
international cooperation.  He referenced the declaration to 
form the IPEEC in the G8 meeting on June 8, 2008 in Aomori, 
Japan and remarked on the progress made to date.  He welcomed 
Brazil and Mexico's participation and discussed the framework 
established for the IPEEC to be hosted at the IEA.  Nikai 
then called on all ministers or their representatives to make 
comments. 
 
COMMENTS FROM THE U.S. AND OTHER MEMBER COUNTRIES 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Deputy Secretary of Energy Jeffrey Kupfer expressed 
the USG's support of the IPEEC and also welcomed the expanded 
participation by Brazil and Mexico, in addition to that of 
existing members.  He noted the USG supports the IEA as the 
host for the IPEEC secretariat and highlighted initiatives of 
the USG to improve energy efficiency.  EU Energy Commissioner 
Andris Piebalgs echoed many of the same comments supporting 
the establishment of the IPEEC and the IEA's role.  He noted 
the relevance of the goals of the IPEEC to the EU's energy 
package.  Italy highlighted its role in hosting the G8 in May 
2009 in Rome and expressed support for discussing expanding 
the IPEEC at this meeting. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Other comments from member countries included the 
Secretary of the India Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas 
R.S. Pandey, who expressed concern that the IPEEC remain 
completely independent from the IEA, with no budget or 
oversight.  He also urged member countries to contribute 
funds toward the IPEEC.  Pascal Schuster, Head of the Energy 
and Climate Change Unit at the French Ministry for 
Sustainable Development, called for the IPEEC to be 
transparent in carrying out its goals.  Minister Chen Xiao 
Dong from China expressed concern that the IPEEC not be 
"legally binding," but noted his overall support.  Brazilian 
Minister of Mines and Energy Edison Lobao expressed his 
support of IPEEC and claimed Brazil produces 81 percent of 
its electricity from hydropower.  Ministerial representatives 
from Russia, Mexico, Germany, and Canada made similar 
comments regarding their general support for IPEEC and of the 
IEA hosting arrangement. 
 
¶5. (SBU)  IEA Executive Director Nobuo Tanaka called the 
IPEEC a great opportunity to address the economic and energy 
crisis.  He stressed the need for increased investment in 
energy saving measures and called this a "win-win" for 
everyone.  He expressed the IEA's strong support in hosting 
the IPEEC.  He urged the member states to use the IEA's 
technical capabilities and knowledge when the IPEEC is 
launched in early 2009. 
 
CLOSING STATEMENTS 
------------------ 
 
¶6. (SBU) Chair Toshihiro Nikai closed the session by thanking 
the members for their remarks and contributions to supporting 
the launching of the IPEEC.  After highlighting the 
significance of the agreement, Nikai then called the IPEEC 
joint statement adopted by member states.  Minister O'Brien 
thanked Toshihiro Nikai for Japan's leadership of the IPEEC. 
Nikai noted he would remain as chair until the IPEEC is 
formally launched in 2009. 
 
TEXT OF JOINT STATEMENT 
----------------------- 
 
¶7. (U) A copy of the text of the Joint Statement agreed upon 
by the members of the IPPEC on December 18, 2008 follows: 
 
(U)  The Energy Ministers, or their designated 
representatives, from the major energy consuming countries 
including G8, Brazil, the People's Republic of China, India, 
the Republic of Korea and Mexico, the European Energy 
Commissioner and the Executive Director of the International 
Energy Agency (IEA) met in London on 18 December 2008 to 
review the progress towards, and provide political guidance 
to finalize the terms of association for the establishment of 
the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency 
Cooperation (IPEEC), following the Energy Ministers' 
Declaration for an International Partnership for Energy 
Efficiency Cooperation (IPEEC) adopted in Aomori on 8 June 
¶2008. 
 
(U) We offer this as a contribution to the London Energy 
Ministers Meeting on 19th December 2008. 
 
¶1. (U) We recognize again that improving energy efficiency is 
one of the quickest, greenest, and most cost-effective ways 
to address energy security, climate change, and ensure 
economic growth, and reaffirm that this can be further 
enhanced through the IPEEC. 
 
¶2. (U) We also reaffirm that the IPEEC will serve as a 
high-level forum for facilitating broad actions that yield 
high energy efficiency gains, where participating countries 
see an added value.  They include supporting on-going work of 
the participating countries and relevant organizations, 
exchanging information on best practices, policies and 
measures and developing public-private partnerships in key 
energy consuming sectors as well as on a cross-sectoral basis. 
 
¶3. (U) We welcome the on-going work for the preparation of 
the IPEEC, and endorse the results that have been achieved 
under the Chairmanship of Japan.  We note with satisfaction 
that we were able to determine the fundamental terms of 
association for the IPEEC before the deadline set by the 
Aomori Energy Ministers Meeting.  We will establish this 
partnership and commence its operation as early as possible 
in 2009 according to the following principles. 
 
--Participants are committed to establish the IPEEC, based on 
the principle of equitable and voluntary participation. 
 
--The IPEEC will be established as an international 
partnership based on the basic framework reached at the third 
IPEEC preparatory meeting. 
 
-In order to ensure the sustainability and consistency of the 
IPEEC activities, a dedicated Secretariat will be 
established.  The IPEEC Secretariat will be hosted at the 
IEA, so that the IPEEC can make full use of the knowledge, 
experiences and capacity of the IEA.  The Secretariat will be 
open for participation to all the member countries of the 
IPEEC.  It will report to, and receive its guidance from, the 
IPEEC Executive Committee. 
 
--The IPEEC will exchange views and seek collaboration with 
other international organizations and bodies, to achieve 
synergies and avoid duplication of efforts. 
 
¶4. (U) Based on what has been achieved in the preparatory 
process, we instruct our officials to accelerate the process 
for finalizing the IPEEC framework.  We appreciate Japan's 
chairmanship and willingness to continue this role until the 
work to establish IPEEC is completed. 
 
¶5. (U) We reaffirm that we would like to invite all 
interested countries to join the IPEEC after its formal 
establishment. 
 
¶6. (U) DOE clearance received January 23, 2009. 
 
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