VZCZCXRO5566
RR RUEHAST RUEHDH RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHSL RUEHTM
RUEHTRO
DE RUEHHI #1246/01 3270903
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 230902Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0463
INFO ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RHMCSUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHMFIUU/HQ EPA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 0090
RUEHC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/DEPT OF INTERIOR WASHINGTON DC
RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMEMBASSY HANOI 001246 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS 
EAP/EP 
OES/EGC 
OES/STC 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR ANE 
G/ENV 
EGAT/ESP 
EPA FOR OIA (MARK KASMAN) 
STATE PASS TO NOAA/NOS/OIA (JONATHAN JUSTI) 
USDA FOR FOREST SERVICE/INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS (CYNTHIA MACKIE AND ELIZABETH LEBOW) 
INTERIOR FOR U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY (GREG SMITH) 
BANGKOK PASS TO RDMA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV ENRG ECON KGHG VM
SUBJECT: VIETNAM'S STRATEGY FOR COPENHAGEN 
 
REF: STATE 670; STATE 1088 
 
¶1. Please see paragraph 7 for Action Request. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Summary:  The Government of Vietnam (GVN) intends to play a 
more active role during the upcoming fifteenth Conference of the 
Parties under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate 
Change (COP 15) in Copenhagen next month.  While Vietnam will not 
publicly break with the G77, it will urge all large emitters 
regardless of development status to commit to emissions reductions 
and will urge the developed world to fund some, but not all, costs 
associated with developing world adaptation and mitigation responses. 
  At Copenhagen, Vietnam would like to set up meetings for Prime 
Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, who is leading its delegation, with 
President Obama or the leader of the U.S. delegation, and for 
Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Pham Khoi Nguyen.  End 
Summary. 
 
Vietnam Wants All Major Emitters to Commit to Reductions 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Pham Van Tan, the Deputy Director for International 
Cooperation within the Ministry of Natural Resources and the 
Environment (MONRE) and a member of the GVN climate change 
negotiating team, told Emboff that the GVN would urge all large 
emitters, regardless of development status, to commit to cuts in 
emissions during the upcoming COP 15 in Copenhagen.  Though the GVN 
will not single out China by name, Vietnam includes its northern 
neighbor as a large emitter in this formulation.   At the same time, 
concerned about relations with "Big Brother," Vietnam does not want 
the United States or the EU publicly to highlight this inclusion of 
China during the Copenhagen discussions. (Note: The GVN provided a 
similar briefing to the Spanish and Swedish Ambassadors to Vietnam on 
behalf of the EU). Vietnam hopes that the Kyoto Protocol may be 
revised to require specific emissions cuts from non-Annex I countries 
and that the United States will then sign on to this amended 
document. 
 
Vietnam Will Urge Developed World to Fund Some, 
But not All of Developing World Climate Change Response 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) The GVN does not support the rigid Group of 77 position that 
the developed world must provide adaptation and mitigation technology 
transfer free of charge, which it does not find realistic.  Though 
Vietnam believes that climate change is largely due to historical 
emissions from the developed world, every country is responsible for 
implementing solutions.  At Copenhagen, the GVN publicly will urge 
that the developed world provide some level of assistance to 
developing countries based upon the severity of likely impacts from 
climate change (Note: not coincidentally, experts agree that Vietnam 
will be among the countries most affected by sea level rise).  At the 
same time, the GVN will note that it does not expect the developed 
world to fully fund climate change responses from the developing 
world. 
 
Vietnam not Optimistic for Copenhagen Breakthrough 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶5. (SBU) The Vietnamese negotiation team left the recent Barcelona 
discussions feeling pessimistic about chances for substantial 
progress in Copenhagen.  Though Vietnam felt that obtaining general 
agreement on which concept papers to present at COP15 was a minor 
success, it noted that the different factions had yet to reach any 
agreement on what the concept papers should contain and was not 
optimistic that the parties would reach such consensus by next month. 
 
HANOI 00001246  002 OF 002 
 
 
Vietnam Will Be More Active in Copenhagen 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) While acknowledging that Vietnam to date has not played an 
active role in global meetings, Tan noted that the Vietnamese 
delegation intends to be more pro-active in Copenhagen.  Consistent 
with general, conservative GVN decision-making processes, in the 
past, Vietnam has studied the differences between the positions of 
the developed and developing country blocs.  Based on these studies, 
GVN climate change negotiators developed a strategy for COP 15, which 
they have submitted throughout the GVN for approval.  The Prime 
Minister generally has approved the recommendations that the GVN play 
a more active role in Copenhagen, that it urge all major emitters to 
commit to emission cuts and that it seek measured contributions from 
the developed world.  Over the next few weeks, the GVN will update 
and refine these positions, with few expected changes. 
 
High-level Vietnamese Delegation 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) Tan again noted that Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung will 
lead the Vietnamese delegation to Copenhagen with MONRE Minister Pham 
Khoi Nguyen serving as deputy delegation head (Ref B).  At a climate 
change conference earlier this month, GVN officials stated that the 
rest of the delegation would consist of leaders from the Ministry of 
Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of 
Agriculture and Rural Development.  Vietnam's technical delegation 
will be led by a director general from MONRE.  Vietnamese delegates 
in Copenhagen will attend and make presentations at seminars on 
commitments of parties not subject to Annex I, revision of the Kyoto 
Protocol, commitment to post- 2012 emission reduction by parties not 
subject to Annex 1, technological transfer, and capacity building for 
climate change adaptation and mitigation and financial issues. With 
support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, Vietnam will 
also organize a sideline conference on "Vietnam's response to climate 
change." 
 
Action Request: Bilateral Meetings 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) The GVN has asked whether the head of the USG delegation can 
meet with Prime Minister Dung during the COP and, if not, whether a 
suitable high-level USG representative can meet with MONRE Minister 
Nguyen.  Both men will arrive in Copenhagen on December 14 and depart 
on December 18 
Michalak