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FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1723
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
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RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0007
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 0001
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RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 0006
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 0001
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RUEHSN/AMEMBASSY SAN SALVADOR 0001
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0527
RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA 0302

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MADRID 000068 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR OES/ECG DREW NELSON AND KATE LARSEN, S/SECC 
RACHEL KASTENBERG, 
STATE PASS EPA FOR ADMINISTRATOR JACKSON, 
EMBASSIES FOR ESTH OFFICERS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV ENRG SP KGHG
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S CONVERSATION WITH SPANISH CLIMATE 
CHANGE NEGOTIATOR 
 
REF: A. STATE: 3080 
     ¶B. MADRID 31 
 
MADRID 00000068  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶1. (SBU)  Summary.  The Ambassador discussed follow-up to the 
Copenhagen Accord with Secretary of State for Climate Change 
Teresa Ribera on January 21.  The discussion focused on 
Spain's outreach efforts in Latin America, particularly to 
counter efforts by Venezuela, Bolivia and Cuba to discredit 
the Accord to discourage others from associating.  Ribera, 
Spain's senior climate change negotiator, said most Latin 
America countries are likely to associate with the Accord but 
few are likely to inscribe mitigation actions.  She said it 
would be helpful for the USG to talk to El Salvador and 
Guatemala about the benefits that association could bring. 
She also noted that engagement with China and India has been 
challenging.  Ribera will be in Washington January 25-26. 
End Summary. 
 
Countering "Naysayers" in Latin America 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Ribera said Spain is stressing the transparency 
and legitimacy of the Accord process to confront efforts by 
Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Ecuador and Cuba to discredit 
it.  She suggested that Venezuela's position, deeply rooted 
in opposition to the U.S., was unlikely to change.  Bolivia, 
which had meaningfully contributed to climate change 
discussions two years ago, had moved closer to Venezuela's 
position and could not be expected to change.  Ribera added 
that of the "naysayers" Nicaragua and Ecuador had the 
potential to be less obstructive.  She also said that Cuba 
wanted real action on climate change and has productively 
participated in past climate change discussions -- 
particularly as an interlocutor with Venezuela.  Despite Cuba 
feeling sidelined by the Accord process and being 
economically beholden to Venezuela, Ribera suggested that it 
has the potential to return to a more constructive role. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  While noting that pressure from the naysayers was 
getting to some Latin American countries, Ribera said most 
were likely to associate with the Accord by January 31. 
Spain is delicately engaging with countries it views as 
likely to associate -- such as Argentina, Uruguay and El 
Salvador -- but which might still waver. She added that it 
could be helpful for the USG to talk to El Salvador and 
Guatemala about the benefits that association could bring. 
Ribera emphasized that Brazil's Lula was playing a key role 
as a bridge to much of the region although this irritated 
Cuba.  Still, she cautioned that few countries will inscribe 
to mitigation actions.  Those that do commit to mitigation 
actions, potentially including Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica 
and Chile, will probably do so past the deadline. 
 
China and India 
--------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU)   Ribera said that China and India have given 
contradictory messages, and China has been skittish about 
engaging in substantive climate change discussions with the 
EU or individual European countries.  While Ribera felt it 
unlikely that China or India would make substantive 
commitments before the Delhi meeting later this month, she 
still thinks it is important to keep the pressure on China 
and India to be  "mature players on the international stage." 
 
Off to Washington 
----------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  The Ambassador thanked Ribera for her efforts and 
expressed confidence that she would have productive meetings 
in Washington with Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd 
Stern and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa 
 
MADRID 00000068  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
Jackson on January 25-26. 
SOLOMONT