VZCZCXYZ0022
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHPG #0592/01 2781529
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 051529Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY PRAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1808
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS PRAGUE 000592 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR OES/EGC: WMOORE, EUR: MBEH AND SPARKER-BURNS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: BEXP ECON ENRG EUN KGHG KPAO OEXC PREL SENV SW EZ
SUBJECT: GOING GREEN IN THE GOLDEN CITY: EMBASSY PRAGUE PROMOTES 
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP 
 
REF: A. STATE 64364 
     ¶B. STOCKHOLM 202 
     ¶C. STATE 40579 
 
¶1. Summary: Embassy Prague works diligently to improve understanding 
of U.S. environmental policies and accomplishments, promote 
environmentally-responsible behavior, strengthen ties between Czechs 
and Americans in this field, and create eco-friendly economic 
opportunities.  Management has implemented energy and 
resource-saving measures on Embassy-owned properties; FCS promotes 
trade supporting renewable energy and green technologies; and Public 
Affairs creates opportunities to highlight U.S. accomplishments in 
the field of environmental stewardship and to foster U.S.-Czech 
collaboration in this field.  End Summary. 
 
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Background 
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¶2. Beyond financial and moral imperatives, Embassy Prague has found 
environmental stewardship to be a useful platform on which to 
improve U.S.-Czech government-to-government cooperation, stimulate 
investment and business relationships, increase scientific 
collaboration, and improve the U.S. image in the Czech Republic 
(CR).  Although Czech dependence on coal creates one of Europe's 
largest per-capita ecological footprints, Czech people and policy 
makers are avidly working towards a greener future, particularly 
with the Copenhagen climate negotiations in view. These conditions 
provide fertile ground for our partnership to blossom. 
¶3. In summer 2009, Embassy Prague established an interagency working 
group including the Management Section, the Political-Economic 
section, the Public Affairs Section, the Foreign Agricultural 
Service, and the Foreign Commercial Service.  The working group 
provides a valuable forum for cross-sectional discussion, engagement 
and cooperation, and ensures Mission-wide awareness of section 
initiatives.  Along the lines of Embassy Stockholm's "Next Big 
Thing" Initiative and REFTELs, Embassy Prague wishes to share some 
of its many successes and ongoing activities. 
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Internal Operations 
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¶4. The Management Section of Embassy Prague has: 
- Installed an automatic sprinkler system, saving $3,000 and 2.2 
million liters of water in one year, a sustainable best practice. 
- Built a fully enclosed bicycle rack to provide covered parking for 
bike commuters. 
- Created an Earth Day online video outlining Embassy Prague's 
sustainable practices. 
- Installed CF lamps in select residences, saving each house $250 
annually. 
- Reduced volume of unsorted waste by 28 percent through paper and 
plastic recycling. 
In addition, they have led the Mission in: 
- Completing Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) Sustainability 
Survey for 
Post (2007), reporting above average sustainability among overseas 
posts. 
- Joining the Department of State League of Green Embassies. 
 
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Economic Cooperation and Investment Opportunities 
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¶5. The Foreign Commercial Service of Embassy Prague: 
- Regularly promotes trade supporting renewable energy and 
environmental technologies through market research studies, 
including: 
--    Czech Renewable Energy Market, Industry Sector Analysis, 
February 2009 
--    Water and Waste Water Market in the Czech Republic, Industry 
Sector Analysis, February 2009. 
- Participates in U.S. and EU trade shows through the Energy, Green 
Building, and Environmental Teams.  Past and upcoming trade shows 
include: 
--    Power Gen Europe 2010 (Amsterdam, June 2010) co-located with 
Renewable Energy World Europe 
--    Aquatherm Prague, November 24 - 28, 2009 
--    Envi Brno, May 2010 
--    Building Fair in Brno, April 2009 
--    ForArch Trade Show in Prague, September 2009 
--    Will participate in the Big Green Pavilion green business fair 
in coordination with the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Change Summit. 
 
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Public Diplomacy 
---------- 
 
¶6. The Public Affairs Section of Embassy Prague: 
 
- Helped establish the Czech Republic Green Buildings Council to 
promote environmentally friendly and sustainable building methods in 
the Czech Republic and Central and Eastern Europe, and continues to 
support its progress. 
- Co-organized with the British Council seminars, including 
"Sustainable Local Energy Self-sufficiency," "Architectural, 
Technical and Social Aspects of Green Buildings," and "Economic 
Aspects of Green Buildings." Over 150 experts in the environmental 
field -- architects, engineers, academics, students, and business 
and government leaders -- attended these seminars, which in part led 
to the creation of the Czech Green Building Council. 
- Organized a roundtable on climate change and environmental issues 
with leading Czech environmental NGOs for a CODEL of six, an Under 
Secretary of the Department of Energy and a White House 
representative. 
- Sponsored a lecture by Professor Robert Greenstreet, Director of 
Planning and Design for the City of Milwaukee, on the sustainable 
development of urban communities with Czech academics, government 
officials and city planners. 
- In cooperation with the Czech Partnership Foundation, facilitated 
a workshop entitled "Social Bike Business for Prague" with Sue 
Knaup, Executive Director of One Street, which promoted 
bicycle-commuting and financially self sufficient certified social 
bike shops owned and operated by disadvantaged communities. 
- Organized the trip of Mike Van Abel, Executive Director of 
US-based NGO International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA), to 
the Czech Republic to work on citizen-based nature conservation and 
landscape stewardship with the Czech Mountain Biking Association. 
- Partnered with the Galerie Jaroslava Fragnera to curate an 
exhibition and conference on 'Green Architecture,' which featured 
lectures and works by New York based architect Mitchell Joachim. 
- In cooperation with the Czech Academy of Sciences, screened the 
film "An Inconvenient Truth" at the American Center in Prague and 
the Moravian Library in Brno as a part of the Academy's Science and 
Technology Week. 
- Supported the screening throughout the Czech Republic of the 
American film "Garbage Warrior," a feature-length documentary which 
tells the story of American eco-architect Michael Reynolds, his crew 
of renegade house-builders from New Mexico, and their fight to 
introduce radically different and sustainable ways of living. 
- Launched the 'Low Carbon Speakers Bureau Series,' in which 
officers make presentations to regional Czech high schools via the 
State Department's new Adobe Acrobat webchat platform co.nx, 
increasing Embassy outreach without increasing carbon emissions. 
- Supported the "Road to Copenhagen" environmental conference in 
Prague with a U.S. speaker. 
- Produced the multimedia website 
http://projects.citiesxborders.com/energy)dis cussing the development 
of renewable energy projects in the U.S. and Czech Republic, and 
emphasizing how the U.S. leads in renewable energy technology 
development.  The website will serve as a virtual forum bringing 
together other environment-oriented PA programming in the months 
ahead, and may be presented on other USG and participating 
institutions' web sites. 
- Continues to create strong institutional partnerships and speaker 
opportunities with professional journalists who will train 24 U.S. 
and Czech students during a three-week renewable energy reporting 
project. 
- Provides partnership and funding for the Environmental Law Service 
to complete a study entitled "Alternative Energy Sources v. 
Bureaucratic and Legislative Hurdles: Obstacles on the Way to Fight 
Global Warming," which will identify and devise strategies for 
overcoming administrative and legislative obstacles that limit the 
development of renewable energy in the Czech Republic. 
- Sent an influential Czech journalist to participate in the 
USEU/Foreign Press Center-organized reporting tour on green 
technology, as well as numerous International Visitor grantees in 
this field. 
- Is developing a set of interactive study materials (including 
articles, work sheets, and case studies) through Czech partner 
Ekowatt in order to raise public awareness on the environmental 
impact of housing among secondary school students. 
- Supports the Czech Environmental Partnership Foundation's Tree of 
Life program, whose annual 'Concert for Trees' raises funds for tree 
planting activities.  Over the past ten years, this project has 
planted over 50,000 trees across the Czech countryside. 
- Continues to organize environment-related speaker, exchange and 
web-based public outreach programs. 
 
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Multi-Sectional Collaboration 
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¶7. Mission Prague organized the 2010 Energy Efficiency and 
Sustainable Building Technology Group through the International 
Visitors Program, with participants from  national and local 
governments; industry and professional associations for architects, 
designers, developers and building product manufacturers; NGOs 
promoting energy efficiency and sustainable building; and private 
 
citizens.  The program will help participants to identify best 
practices and create possibilities for energy efficiency 
improvements, while approaching policy approaches and strategies for 
financially viable energy efficiency projects.  Returned IVs are 
collaborating with PAS on Brownfield regeneration, the Sustainable 
Buildings Program and other environmental issues. 
 
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Community Outreach 
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¶8. Embassy Prague held a community service event, during which the 
Embassy community planted 1050 trees in a Czech national park. 
 
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Conclusion 
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¶8. Embassy Prague is proud of its green efforts in recent years.  We 
join the chorus of embassies sharing their environmental 
accomplishments, and will continue to investigate new ways to 
advance eco-friendly programs and resource-efficient practices. 
 
Thompson-Jones