VZCZCXRO3738
RR RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHHM RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHNEH
RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHPW RUEHTM RUEHTRO
DE RUEHNE #0777/01 1100602
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 200602Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6243
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 000777 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR OES/PCI, OES/EGC, AND SCA/INS 
STATE FOR STAS 
STATE PASS TO NSF FOR INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV TRGY PREL ECON KGHG IN
SUBJECT: CHARGE BURLEIGH ENGAGES INDIAN SPECIAL ENVOY FOR CLIMATE 
CHANGE SHYAM SARAN 
 
¶1.  (U) This is an action request.  Please see paragraph 10. 
¶2.  (U)  SUMMARY:  In a wide-ranging meeting on April 14, 2009, 
Charge Burleigh discussed climate change, renewable energy, nuclear 
non-proliferation, and next steps for the Indo-U.S. Civil Nuclear 
Agreement with Indian Special Envoy for Climate Change and Civil 
Nuclear Affairs Shyam Saran.  Saran shared India's interest in 
collaborating on renewable energy as well as issues India plans to 
raise at the April 27-28 Major Economies Forum on Energy and 
Climate.  Details of the non-proliferation and civil nuclear 
discussion will be reported septel.  END SUMMARY. 
¶3.  (U) Charge Burleigh opened the conversation by expressing the 
U.S. desire to maintain a close and open dialogue with India on 
climate change and engage in practical, on the ground collaboration 
in renewable energy technologies.  S/E Saran noted his conversations 
with Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern in March had been 
extremely beneficial and substantive, as were his meetings with John 
Holdren, Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, 
and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu.  He said his Washington 
interlocutors had expressed a very keen interest in working with 
India which India welcomes as the two countries see climate change 
and energy security as two sides of the same coin noting both can 
only be resolved with a strategic shift from fossil fuel to nuclear 
and renewable energy.  In addition, he noted India's basic 
philosophy towards combating climate change was remarkably similar 
to that of the U.S. as both countries emphasize the need to grow 
their economies while confronting the issue. 
 
--------------------------------- 
POTENTIAL AREAS FOR COLLABORATION 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (U) Saran stated both the U.S. and India had talented scientists 
and entrepreneurs and that there was fertile ground for 
collaboration in clean coal and renewable energy.  In regard to 
coal, Saran noted both countries rely heavily on coal fired 
electricity generation and stated he did not believe this would 
change in the foreseeable future which made clean coal technology of 
great interest to India.  However, Saran stated India would not 
pursue carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology as Indian 
power plants are usually located far from geologic formations 
suitable for carbon sequestration which reduces net emission 
reductions due to the need to transport the captured CO2.  In 
addition, he stated India's geologic formations are in seismically 
unstable areas and that India did not want to take the risk of a CO2 
release. Despite this, Saran stated India wa willing to collaborate 
with the U.S., either bilaterally or multilaterally, on CCS 
technology and if proven, would reconsider adoption.  Saran also 
noted India's interest in gas to liquid fuel technlogy for 
converting coal flue gases into methanol.  He also said India was 
looking at biochemical processes whereby algae is used to sequester 
carbon. 
 
¶5.  (U) Saran stated India sees solar energy as the future and is 
planning on rolling out an "ambitious but realistic" plan under the 
National Solar Mission.  He noted the first draft of the National 
Solar Mission had been discussed in the Prime Minister's office on 
April 13, 2009.  Saran said the plan called for a Collected Solar 
Power (CSP) pilot plant and that India would welcome U.S. 
collaboration in its development.  He also stated India would be 
happy to collaborate on waste to energy, biomass, and other 
renewable energy projects. 
 
------------------------------------ 
ISSUES FOR THE MAJOR ECONOMIES FORUM 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Saran confirmed he will attend the Major Economies Forum 
on Energy and Climate (MEF) April 27-28 in Washington and noted 
several issues he intends to raise including carbon capture, CSP, 
forestry, the sectoral approach, and the issues to be discussed at 
the MEF Leaders meeting.  In regard to carbon capture, Saran stated 
he wanted the major economies to broaden the discussion to include 
forms of CCS other than geologic sequestration.  As to CSP, he 
intends to announce India's CSP pilot project and interest in 
international collaboration.  In regard to forestry, Saran stated he 
wanted to see the major economies endorse a position where 
afforestation was rewarded in the same fashion as avoided 
deforestation under any international regime agreed to at 
Copenhagen. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Saran once again repeated the Indian aversion to the 
sectoral approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions claiming it 
was a form of protectionism hiding under a green cloak.  He stated 
India did not want international standards to negatively impact its 
industry.  Saran responded to a challenge - that in certain sectors 
 
NEW DELHI 00000777  002 OF 002 
 
 
such as steel, India competes at a world level and therefore its 
global competitors believe it should be held to an international 
standard - by agreeing that while certain elements of the Indian 
steel industry are world-class, there was so much diversity in 
production methods in India it was impossible to arrive at an Indian 
standard, let alone an international standard.  He noted these 
issues quickly become emotional and recounted an episode at the most 
recent Bonn climate talks where a Japanese delegate made an 
impassioned outburst claiming that if India did not agree to reduce 
emissions, there would be no agreement at Copenhagen.  Saran 
expressed a desire to enlist U.S. support to reduce such outbursts 
by representatives of the major economies.  He concluded his 
discussion of the sectoral approach by expressing a willingness to 
share best practices on a sectoral basis and include a forum for 
doing so within the context of the Copenhagen talks. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) In regard to the MEF Leaders Meeting, Saran recommended 
the major economies not attempt to resolve some of the impasses in 
the UNFCCC negotiations at the MEF leaders meeting.  He stated, 
without specifying, certain issues are difficult not because of a 
lack of leadership but because they are empirically difficult.  He 
said he did not want to put his prime minister in a position in 
which the MEF Leaders Meeting could become as acrimonious as some of 
the UNFCCC negotiating sessions. 
 
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COOKSTOVES 
----------- 
 
¶9.  (U) Saran ended the climate change discussion by stating he 
wanted to see a major effort by India to produce more efficient 
cookstoves with better combustion which would reduce the amount of 
black carbon in the atmosphere.  Charge Burleigh noted such programs 
had been going on in South Asia for decades.  Saran replied they had 
all been "failed experiments" due to lack of education and community 
buy-in as well as poor after sales service and support.  He stated 
efficient cookstoves needed a business plan for proper 
implementation and noted that the pending Waxman-Markey legislation 
addressed the cookstove issue. 
¶10.  (SBU) COMMENT AND ACTION REQUEST:  Saran clearly signaled a 
strong interest in bilateral cooperation with the U.S. in renewable 
energy technology research and development despite our differing 
positions in the UNFCCC negotiations.  While his comment that the 
National Solar Mission plan was on its first draft was 
disheartening, considering it is already four months overdue, it 
appears India will be making serious commitments to renewable energy 
in 2009.  Building on the favorable outcome of Saran's Washington 
talks with Special Envoy Stern, post requests S/E Stern consider a 
visit to India after the June climate talks in Bonn and before the 
September/October climate talks in Bangkok.  This timing will allow 
India to appoint a new lead climate change negotiator to replace 
Special Envoy Saran should the national elections result in a change 
of government.  END COMMENT AND ACTION REQUEST. 
BURLEIGH