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DE RUEHC #3217/01 1952327
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 142311Z JUL 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 8310

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 073217 
 
SIPDIS, SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ENRG KGHG SENV
SUBJECT: U.S. SIGNS THE INTERNATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY 
AGENCY STATUTE 
 
REF: A. STATE 61286, B. STATE 59969, C. STATE 59971, D. 
2008 STATE 134385 
 
¶1.      (SBU) SUMMARY:  On June 29, the United States signed 
the Statute of the International Renewable Energy Agency 
(IRENA), the international agreement establishing the 
organization.  Signatories now number 136 countries. 
The United Arab Emirates will host IRENA, and Germany 
and Austria will host self-funded satellite offices, an 
IRENA Innovation Center in Bonn and an IRENA Liaison 
Office in Vienna.  French candidate Helen Pelosse is the 
Interim Director General of IRENA.  Posts may draw on 
the talking points and background, provided below, as 
appropriate, to inform the host government of the U.S. 
position on IRENA.  Embassies Abu Dhabi, Berlin, Paris, 
Tokyo, and Vienna, please see action request in 
paragraph two.  End Summary. 
 
 
¶2.  (SBU) OBJECTIVES FOR EMBASSIES ABU DHABI, BERLIN, 
PARIS, TOKYO, AND VIENNA 
 
The U.S. wants to maintain positive momentum and 
cooperation following the outcome of the June 28-30 
Second Session of the Preparatory Commission in Sharm El 
Sheikh, Egypt. 
 
For Abu Dhabi, please pursue the following objectives: 
 
-- Congratulate the UAE on its successful bid to host 
IRENA.  Note the US desire to work closely with the UAE 
and our appreciation for the UAE's like-minded view on 
the most useful direction for IRENA's work program ? 
capacity building in developing countries. 
 
-- Ask if the UAEG's coordination with Helen Pelosse has 
identified further opportunities or challenges for the 
next IRENA meeting in October.  (We understand DG 
Pelosse visited the UAE recently.) 
 
For Paris, please pursue the following objectives: 
 
-- Obtain a meeting with Helen Pelosse, winner of the 
Interim DG of IRENA.  OES/EGC and EEB/ESC will provide 
her contact information via email. 
 
-- Reiterate U.S. invitation for Pelosse to visit 
Washington for consultations with the Departments of 
State and Energy, as well as Congressional meetings. 
[Invitation has been conveyed by the U.S. delegation in 
Sharm El Shiekh and via email by Ambassador Reno 
Harnish, Acting Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of 
Oceans, Environment and Science.] 
 
-- Confirm that Pelosse intends to relocate to Abu Dhabi 
to fulfill her commitment as DG of IRENA. 
 
-- Seek Pelosse's views on the progression of IRENA and 
the development of its Work Program. 
 
-- Stress that as with all international organizations, 
the U.S. will be looking to Pelosse's leadership to make 
the IRENA secretariat as lean, efficient, and effective 
as possible, with an emphasis on accountability and 
transparency. 
 
-- Note U.S. (and Japanese) desire for permanent seats 
on the IRENA Council, which is appropriate given  our 
large portion of the budgetary burden (22% U.S. and 18% 
for Japan).  Seek Pelosse's views on how this may be 
achieved without formally amending the IRENA Statute. 
 
For Tokyo, please pursue the following objectives: 
 
-- Thank Japan for its leadership and coordination with 
the U.S. on the issues of IRENA's budget, organization 
and work program. 
 
-- Note our desire to continue our close cooperation as 
we establish contact with DG Pelosse and as we prepare 
for the Third Session of the IRENA Preparatory 
Commission, to be held in January 2010 in Abu Dhabi. 
 
 
For Berlin, please pursue the following objectives: 
 
-- Note U.S. appreciation for German leadership in 
 
STATE 00073217  002 OF 003 
 
 
bringing its vision of IRENA to fruition. 
 
-- Note that the U.S. decision to sign the IRENA Statute 
is an additional boost to the organization and we see 
this development as an important strengthening of the 
U.S.-German partnership on renewable energy. 
 
-- Underscore that we look forward to continuing our 
strong cooperation with Germany on renewable energy and 
across the full range of energy issues. 
 
-- Seek Germany's ideas for the role and function of the 
Innovation Center.  Remind that Germany's funding of the 
Innovation Center is in addition to its assessed 
contribution to IRENA. 
 
 
For Vienna, please pursue the following objectives: 
 
-- Underscore that we look forward to continuing our 
strong cooperation with Austria on renewable energy and 
across the full range of energy issues. 
 
-- Seek Austria's ideas for the role and function of the 
Liaison Office.  Remind that Austria's funding of the 
Liaison Office is in addition to its assessed 
contribution to IRENA. 
 
¶3. (U) The talking points provided below may be drawn 
upon by all posts as they update host governments, as 
appropriate, on U.S. policy on IRENA. 
 
-- The Founding Conference that launched IRENA took 
place on January 26 of this year, very early in the new 
administration. 
 
-- Once we had an opportunity to consider the potential 
benefits of the new organization, and hold initial 
consultations with the Congress, the U.S. Administration 
reached the conclusion that the United States should 
sign the Statute. 
 
-- The Administration strongly supports renewable 
energy.  By joining the more than 130 other countries 
participating in IRENA, the U.S. intends to advance our 
domestic and foreign policy objectives by fostering the 
global transition to a low-carbon economy. 
 
-- By leveraging our resources with those of other 
countries we can more effectively respond to the needs 
of policy makers in the developing world and support the 
policy, regulatory and technical requirements to enable 
broad deployment of renewable energy. 
 
-- The increased use of renewable energy around the 
world will help address global climate change. 
 
-- Globally, there remains a deficiency in capacity 
building efforts focused on renewable energy, a gap 
which IRENA intends to remedy.  IRENA will provide 
enhanced dissemination of best practices and menus of 
policy and regulatory options to adopt renewable energy 
technologies. 
 
-- As a signatory country, the U.S. will seek to ensure 
that IRENA's work plan and programmatic portfolio are 
designed to complement and not compete with or conflict 
with ongoing efforts. 
 
-- Assuming authorizing legislation is enacted and 
appropriate funding is provided, the Executive Branch 
will be in a position to accept membership in IRENA if 
it is in the best interests of the United States.  We 
will work closely with the U.S. Congress to keep Members 
informed of IRENA's progress, as well as to seek and 
maintain Congressional support for U.S. acceptance of 
membership in IRENA. 
 
If Asked, 
 
-- We congratulate the United Arab Emirates, which won 
the seat for Interim Headquarters of IRENA at the second 
session of the IRENA Preparatory Commission. 
 
-- We supported the UAE's bid for hosting the 
headquarters because: 
 
-       The UAE submitted a strong bid to host IRENA. 
-       With the bulk of global energy demand growth expected 
to come from Asia and the Middle East, a UAE 
headquarters location is a practical choice. 
-       The selection of an OPEC country to host IRENA sends 
 
STATE 00073217  003 OF 003 
 
 
an important and positive message about the global 
transition to a low-carbon economy. 
 
¶4. (U) Please contact EEB/ESC Danielle Monosson and 
OES/EGC Griff Thompson with questions or for additional 
information.  The Department appreciates posts' efforts. 
 
¶5. (U) Minimize considered. 
CLINTON