VZCZCXRO3992
PP RUEHIK
DE RUEHNY #0030/01 0211132
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 211132Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY OSLO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8120
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 OSLO 000030 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KGHA SENV ENRG NO
SUBJECT: NORWAY'S POST COP-15 STEPS AND COPENHAGEN ACCORD 
VIEWS 
 
REF: SECSTATE 003080 
 
OSLO 00000030  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  Norwegian acting chief climate negotiator 
Audun Rosland told DCM and PolEconOff January 15 that Norway 
had hoped for a more ambitious deal, but views the Copenhagen 
Accord as an important step in the right direction.  He said 
that the Annex I countries (industrialized nations) must 
strive to ensure momentum is not lost in the run-up to COP 16 
in Mexico City.  Rosland said Norway would subscribe to the 
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 
Secretariat before the January 31st deadline, and will decide 
by early next week whether to announce a 30 percent or 40 
percent reduction in emissions.  He also described plans for 
Norway and France to set up meetings to discuss the REDD-plus 
initiative in the Copenhagen Accord, noting that a concept 
paper was in the works.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Norway's acting Chief Climate Negotiator Audun 
Rosland and Ministry of Environment Senior Advisor Kristen 
Jacobsen told DCM and PolEconOff January 15 that while the 
Copenhagen Accord is not as ambitious as the GON hoped for, 
it is a good foundation and an important first step, given 
the complexity of the COP-15 negotiations.  Rosland said that 
he expects "challenging times ahead" and that we must plan 
carefully on how best to implement the Accord and ensure it 
is not marginalized in the run up to COP 16 in Mexico City. 
Rosland said Norway deeply appreciated President Obama's 
action to establish the Accord.  He expressed concern over 
China's posture, adding that China's participation would be 
crucial to the process, and without it, we would be back to 
square one on climate change.  In regards to the EU meeting 
on the Accord that took place the week-end of January 16 and 
17, Rosland said that although Norway initially was invited, 
they were subsequently un-invited, which, according to 
Rosland, is indicative of the highly political nature of the 
discussions.  He added that only the UK was positive on 30% 
reduction goal. 
 
Norway to announce 30% or 40% target 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  In a follow-up conversation January 20 with 
PolEconOff, Rosland said that Norway would indicate its 
support and sign up for the Accord preferably later this 
week, and submit its targets to the UNFCCC Secretariat before 
the January 31 deadline.  He said that the GON was holding 
internal discussions on Norway's emissions reductions goal, 
and how best to announce Norway's intended 40% emissions 
reduction target.  Soria Moria II, the GON's governing 
platform established after the national elections in 
September 2009, calls for a 40% reduction.  However, the GON 
wanted to achieve maximum impact when announcing its 40% 
goal, so as to influence other countries to raise their own 
targets.  He said they may wait until closer to the Mexico 
City discussions.  He concluded by noting that the "Friends 
of the Accord" groups were pushing Norway to announce the 40% 
target as soon as possible. 
 
Moving Forward 
-------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Rosland said he would like the U.S. to reach for 
further targets on combating climate change, but understood 
DCM's point that the current administration cannot get ahead 
of the U.S. Congress on this issue.  Rosland added that if 
U.S. legislation on climate change could be passed before the 
UNFCCC subsidiary bodies meeting in Bonn scheduled to begin 
in May, it would provide impetus to push the Accord forward. 
Rosland said that prompt action to disburse the USD 30 
billion in funds pledged to the High Level Panel would also 
help push the process forward and reduce the ability of 
nay-sayers to sidetrack the initiative.  Jacobsen chimed in, 
noting that while we need to have a strong UNFCCC track, we 
need to make sure we have a process that "delivers."  Rosland 
added a balance was needed to ensure an initial focus on 
"willing countries" to achieve some progress, without 
alienating the "unwilling countries," in the hope that they 
will eventually support the process.  He said that the 
Copenhagen Accord does allow for initiatives to be pursued, 
and asked if the U.S. has plans on leading a meeting to 
discuss Accord procedures.  Jacobsen brought up the 
Implementing Agreement Proposal, and said it could be a 
vehicle for moving the Accord forward. 
 
REDD-plus next steps 
-------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Rosland outlined discussions between Norway and 
France to further develop the Reduced Emissions from 
Deforestation and Degradation initiative outlined in the 
 
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Copenhagen Accord, REDD-plus, including an initial meeting in 
France with the six donor countries, U.S., UK, France, 
Norway, Japan, and Australia, and also Papua New Guinea. The 
plan would be for the follow-up meeting to take place in 
Norway, before the Bonn meetings in May.  He noted that USD 
3.5 billion had been pledged to support REDD-plus, and that a 
concept paper was in development to determine how best to 
move the initiative forward. 
WHITE