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DE RUEHLO #1605/01 1911254
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 101254Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY LONDON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2853
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LONDON 001605 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: BEXP ENRG KGHG KPAO SENV UK
SUBJECT: EMBASSY LONDON AND THE "NEXT BIG THING" ON CLEAN 
ENERGY 
 
REF: STATE 64364 
 
 ¶1.  (U) Summary:  Embassy London will propose septel a major 
U.S./UK initiative to accelerate technical progress on 
climate change and clean energy technologies.  We will 
outline a strategy to quickly build on U.S./UK cooperation to 
achieve economically viable technical solutions in the near 
to medium term.  Here, we take stock of work already underway 
to advance the President's clean energy agenda, a top 
interagency priority for Embassy London. Post's Foreign 
Commercial Service (FCS), Public Affairs, and Environment 
Sections are working together to promote and publicize 
America's clean energy economy in the run-up to the Swedish 
EU presidency and COP-15 in Copenhagen.  Post requests EUR 
support in getting targeted, expert-level public diplomacy 
materials on the subject, more information on Department of 
Energy programming, and additional funding for climate-themed 
exchanges.   (End summary) 
 
Public Diplomacy: Full Court Press 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) Post's Public Affairs Section is deploying tools such 
as International Visitor Leadership Programs, Voluntary 
Visitor Programs, in-house film screenings, panel 
discussions, press interviews with visiting high-level 
officials, poster shows at the Embassy, speakers, 
environmentally-themed representational events at the Embassy 
and the Residence, and old-fashioned shoe leather to get the 
word out to companies and people around town.  We are also 
using blogs, YouTube videos, weblinks to IIP eJournals and 
other environmental materials, "Twitter," targeted emails to 
businesses and NGOs, and podcasts.  Our audiences, including 
in Scotland and Northern Ireland, are multi-level and diverse. 
 
¶3.  (U) We used many of these tools when Energy Secretary 
Steve Chu visited London in April 2009.  Secretary Chu did a 
press roundtable, did a round of remote television and radio 
interviews from our in-house media studio, and did 
on-the-record speeches at the Royal Society and at a Nobel 
Laureates event on climate change.  The resulting press 
coverage in several different media hit a global audience and 
did much to re-establish American credibility on climate 
change. 
 
New Embassy: Nearly a Billion Dollars in Advertising 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶4.  (U) One rarely available tool being used by Post is the 
construction of a new embassy compound, or NEC, with 
construction expected to start in 2013.  We hope to make the 
NEC the greenest embassy in the world.  The NEC will be a 
showplace for U.S. environmental technologies and programs 
such as the LEED green building certification system.  Post 
is using every opportunity to promote these goals in the 
media, with planning authorities, with Embassy contacts, and 
with the general public.  Embassy London is a long-time 
member of the League of Green Embassies, and our work on the 
New Embassy Compound matches up neatly with the Secretary's 
"Greening Diplomacy Initiative."  Years ago, our GSO staff 
set out to upgrade our lighting, energy, waste management, 
and water systems and make London the "Greenest Old Embassy" 
in the world.  As a result, we have reduced our carbon 
footprint by nearly 40% and we recycle paper, glass, plastic, 
aluminum, CDs, and batteries. 
 
Commercial Promotion of Green Technologies 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶5.  (U) Foreign Commercial Service (FCS) London and five 
other European FCS posts (Paris, Berlin, Rome, Stockholm and 
Brussels EU) have jointly decided to focus on an initiative 
to promote the green-build industry in Europe.  The year-long 
strategy will include a Senior Commercial Officer 
"Green-Build Road Show" in November 2009 to Pittsburgh, 
Denver and San Francisco, culminating at the Green-Build Show 
in Phoenix.  This will be followed by a FCS/FedEx Green 
Technologies Trade Mission to Europe in April 2010.  On June 
23, FCS organized a kick-off event in cooperation with the 
National Association of Manufacturers in Washington DC at 
which the six Senior Commercial Officers spoke via webinar to 
U.S. construction and environmental association 
representatives to promote the European Green Build 
Initiative.  FCS London is also promoting U.S. company 
participation in various European green trade events. 
 
We Follow the Money 
------------------- 
 
¶6.  (U) Post has devoted much effort to understanding the 
 
LONDON 00001605  002 OF 002 
 
 
financial markets in London that affect the environment, such 
as the carbon trading market, "green" investment funds, clean 
energy project developers, insurers for carbon sequestration 
and forests, carbon accountants, environmental lawyers, and 
multinational banks that now check environmental liabilities 
as part of a loan package.  Several U.S. firms such as 
Merrill Lynch, JP Morgan, Citi Group, and Goldman Sachs, plus 
dozens of smaller firms down to the boutique level, play a 
huge role in providing financing for clean tech. Expertise in 
London's financial community will help to design sensible and 
sustainable financing for climate change solutions that is 
attractive to the private sector and leverages public finance. 
 
What We Would Like 
------------------ 
 
¶7.  (U) We can have the most impact when we have the best 
information.  We would be grateful for detailed, timely, and 
relevant information, not only from State but also from the 
Energy Department about its many clean energy and low-carbon 
programs, and from Commerce.  The UK and much of Europe has a 
sophisticated, knowledgeable group of NGOs, officials and 
businessmen who often know as much or more than we do about 
what is happening in climate change.  They are experts, and 
we need to be able to engage with them on every level. 
 
¶8.  (U)  It would be beneficial to have specific data on 
federal programs, such as detailed dollar amounts, and 
information about how programs are actually implemented. 
Points of contact for follow-up are critical.  We don't need 
everything all the time, but regular updates with the latest 
information on 
major areas of interest (carbon capture, biofuels, batteries, 
solar, etc.), with an occasional in-depth perspective, would 
be very helpful. 
 
¶9.  (U) It also would be useful to have a single source where 
we can quickly and reliably turn to get the latest 
information and talking points on the many topics we deal 
with.  Ease of access, brevity, and relevance make all the 
difference. Information "pushed out" from Washington via 
email newsletters to 
distribution lists would be ideal.  We understand that the 
clearance process can be slow, and we can work with 
information that carries the gist but isn't ready for public 
release. 
 
Visit London's Classified Website: 
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Unit ed_Kingdom 
 
LeBaron