VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSJ #0697/01 2291631
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 171631Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1128
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHMCSUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
INFO RUCNSJS/SAN JOSE ENVIRONMENTAL HUB COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL

UNCLAS SAN JOSE 000697 
 
STATE FOR S/ECC - SPECIAL ENVOY STERN 
STATE FOR OES DAS REIFSNYDER AND OES/EGC - TALLEY 
STATE FOR WHA/EPSC Q ROONEY, DOWDY, AND COLON 
STATE FOR WHA/CEN - VANTRUMP 
DOE FOR A/S SANDALOW 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR LAC/RSD/E - DIX 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV ENRG KGHG CS
SUBJECT: CENTRAL AMERICANS RENEW "CONCAUSA III" PUSH FOR CLIMATE 
COOPERATION WITH U.S. 
 
REF: A. SAN JOSE 0146   B. SAN JOSE 0147 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST: Central American environment 
ministers continue to seek greater U.S. cooperation with the region 
on climate change through a revival of the Central American-United 
States Joint Declaration ("CONCAUSA") process launched in 1994.  As 
Costa Rica serves as President Pro Tem of the Central American 
Integration System ("SICA"), Costa Rican Foreign Minister Bruno 
Stagno Ugarte sent an August 4 letter to Secretary Clinton 
requesting USG consideration of signing a "CONCAUSA III" on climate 
change and energy at the UN climate change negotiations in December 
at Copenhagen.  With Central American environment ministers stepping 
up their efforts to promote this idea, Post requests Washington's 
guidance for a response.  Below in para 7 is an unofficial 
translation of ForMin Stagno's letter.  END SUMMARY. 
 
Centrals Renew Call for "CONCAUSA III" 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) On July 27, Central American ministers of environment 
gathered in Costa Rica to meet as the Central American Commission 
for Environment and Development ("CCAD" Q Comision Centroamericano 
de Ambiente y Desarrollo).  At their concluding dinner meeting, 
Costa Rican Minister Jorge Rodriguez and Guatemalan Environment 
Minister Luis Ferrate told Regional Environmental Officer (REO) that 
ministers had agreed to renew their appeal for greater U.S. 
cooperation with the region on climate change by reviving the 
"CONCAUSA" process launched originally at the 1994 Summit of the 
Americas in Miami.  Other CCAD members in attendance included the 
new Environment Minister of Belize, the new Vice Minister of 
Environment of El Salvador, the new head of Panama's National 
Environmental Authority, and assorted staff from the various 
ministries and the CCAD Secretariat. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Ministers Rodriguez and Ferrate were the most vocal 
proponents of the "CONCAUSA III" idea.  Rodriguez said that other 
Central American environment ministers had agreed to prod their 
foreign ministry counterparts to send letters to Secretary Clinton 
along the lines of that later signed by Costa Rican Foreign Minister 
Stagno.  Rodriguez and Ferrate stressed the region's hope that the 
USG would agree to a "CONCAUSA III" initiative prior to the UN 
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of 
Parties (COP) in December at Copenhagen. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The Central Americans say they want to position the region 
as a "green market" where U.S. firms might buy carbon credits in 
forested lands, should that possibility be opened up by the UNFCCC 
negotiations.  Rodriguez and Ferrate also said they hoped that the 
U.S. House of Representatives' recent approval of the Waxman-Markey 
bill might augur well for a future carbon credits market, as well as 
for stronger U.S. engagement on climate change adaptation in the 
region.  REO cautioned Rodriguez and Ferrate about the obstacles to 
reviving CONCAUSA between now and the Copenhagen meeting.  REO also 
reminded them of the openings for collaboration offered by President 
Obama's April 2009 announcement of the "Energy & Climate Partnership 
of the Americas" (ECPA).  REO further reminded them of potential 
partnership opportunities offered through other USG efforts in the 
region, such as CAFTA-DR environmental capacity building and 
Pathways to Prosperity. 
 
Comment and Action Request 
-------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) COMMENT: Although the Central Americans appear interested 
in pursuing cooperation under ECPA, they nonetheless remain focused 
more on pushing for a "CONCAUSA III" effort specifically for Central 
America and also possibly including the Caribbean.  The region's 
environment ministers are stepping up their lobbying effort and they 
have begun prodding their foreign ministry counterparts to elevate 
this issue on the region's agenda with the U.S.  With Costa Rica 
currently chairing the SICA process and hosting a Pathways to 
Prosperity ministerial in December, these efforts may well 
intensify.  In the meantime, the Central Americans remain anxious 
for a USG reply.  As reported previously (refs A and B), more 
focused USG engagement on climate change in the region could help to 
counter growing European efforts to shape Latin American and 
Caribbean views in the run-up to Copenhagen.  END COMMENT. 
 
¶6.  (U) ACTION REQUEST: Post requests Washington's consideration of 
the "CONCAUSA III" proposal and guidance in responding to further 
inquiries. 
 
 
¶7.  (U) Below is an unofficial translation of Foreign Minister 
Stagno's letter to Secretary Clinton, which Post received on August 
¶11. 
 
BEGIN TEXT OF STAGNO LETTER TO SECRETARY CLINTON 
 
NON-OFFICIAL TRANSLATION 
The Ministry of Foreign Relations 
 
San Jose, August 4, 2009 
 
The Honorable 
Hillary Clinton 
Secretary of State 
United States of America 
Washington, D.C. 
 
Honorable Ms. Clinton: 
 
In my condition as President Pro Tem of the Central American 
Integration System, (known by its Spanish acronyms "SICA"), I take 
advantage of this opportunity to manifest the interest of the member 
countries of this intergovernmental organization to start a process 
of updating the Central America Q United States Joint Declaration 
("CONCAUSA").  This Declaration, which was first signed at the 
Summit of the Americas held in Miami in 1994 and later modified on 
February 2002 during the Administration of the President George W. 
Bush, is the instrument that establishes the United States of 
America as the first non-regional member of the Central American 
Alliance for Sustainable Development (ALIDES). 
 
Taking into account the renewed interest of President Barack Obama's 
Administration on topics such as climate change and renewable 
energy, as well as the advance in the approval of a specific law in 
the House of Representatives of your country, we consider it 
convenient for both parties to advance a process of defining themes 
and commitments of common interest in the areas of climate change 
and energy; commitments that we could sign in the XV Conference of 
the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate 
Change (UNFCCC), to be held next December in Copenhagen, Denmark. 
 
Trusting that this Central American initiative will be received with 
interest by the United States of America, and that we can join 
efforts in this common but differentiated responsibility to face the 
challenges of mitigation and adaptation to climate change; please 
accept the assurances of my highest consideration and esteem. 
 
/S/ 
Bruno Stagno Ugarte 
 
END TEXT OF STAGNO LETTER TO SECRETARY CLINTON 
 
BRENNAN