VZCZCXRO6066
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSM #0358 1620651
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 110651Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4415
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC PRIORITY
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS STOCKHOLM 000358 
 
OES FOR TODD STERN AND CLIMATE TEAM 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE ENTIRE TEXT, PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV KGHG PREL SW
SUBJECT: CLIMATE -- SWEDEN A BIT DISAPPOINTED IN SECOND MEF; AND 
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM FORMER CHIEF CLIMATE NEGOTIATOR 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  Summary:  The natural instinct of Sweden's climate 
negotiators, past and present, is to act as honest brokers - between 
the U.S. and Europe; between the U.S. and China; between the 
developed and developing world.   Holding the EU Presidency will 
only reinforce this tendency.  It is to the USG's advantage to 
maintain close contact with the GOS, via Embassy Stockholm as well 
as through direct contact such as, for example, the recent DVC 
between S/E Stern and Environment Minister Carlgren.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  We spoke to Lars-Erik Liljelund, PM Reinfeldt's Climate 
Czar, a few days after the second MEF meeting.  He expressed 
disappointment with the Paris-MEF, noting that the first meeting in 
Washington in April was more useful and more productive.  It was 
particularly the first day, he said, where the harsh tone at the 
outset of the discussions resulted in a division between developing 
and developed countries that hampered discussions.  We understood, 
for example, that the Indian delegation had reacted poorly to S/E 
Stern's opening statements, which according to Liljelund were 
delivered in what seemed to be a somewhat hard and uncompromising 
tone -- setting limits to what the U.S. could discuss and agree to. 
 
 
¶3.   (SBU)  Liljelund said that the divisions between developing and 
developed countries were particularly hard in the mitigation 
discussions.  On a positive note, he described the sessions on 
technology transfer and also financing as useful and productive. 
Overall, he said the second day was better. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Another concern expressed by Liljelund is that it is 
difficult to agree on what to make of the Leader's meeting in July, 
in conjunction with the G8 Summit.  Delegations struggled with what 
to make of the opportunity. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Embassy Stockholm attended a seminar on the Swedish EU 
Presidency May 28-29, where Sweden's former chief climate negotiator 
Bo Kjellen participated in a panel.  His recommendations for GOS 
climate aspirations during its Presidency are as follows: 
-- The GOS needs close contact with the U.S., 
-- Sweden needs to work on flexibility to implement the EU's 
commitments, 
-- Some innovative thinking is required, to move the mid-term target 
year to 2030 instead of 2020, 
-- Both flexibility and firmness needed vis-a-vis the G-77; need to 
consider Millennium Development Goal commitments for 2015 and 
Biodiversity Convention, for example, 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  Kjellen predicted that agreements on technology transfer 
and financial commitments will be negotiated the last night at 
COP-15.  He urged the GOS to see the financial crisis as an 
opportunity to develop new industries/technologies, citing solar 
panels in Africa as an example.  The present situation is an immense 
possibility, a window of opportunity, Kjellen opined, arguing that a 
carbon market at the OECD level, for example, would be a huge step 
forward.  In closing, he noted that we are beyond the point of no 
return, so he called on the GOS and the EU to use the opportunity of 
having the new Obama Administration in place, to succeed in 
Copenhagen. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Comment: Sweden plans to use its EU Presidency to push for 
an agreement at COP-15. A key part of this effort will be trying to 
broker differences between the U.S. and EU, and between developed 
and developing countries.  Post recommends the USG take maintain 
close contact with the GOS, via Embassy Stockholm as well as through 
direct contact such as, for example, the recent DVC between S/E 
Stern and Environment Minister Carlgren.  End comment. 
 
HILTON