VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKU #0102 0351147
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 041147Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4530
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3269
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0001

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 000102 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/03/2020 
TAGS: ENRG KGHG SENV KU
SUBJECT: GOK WILL NOT ASSOCIATE WITH COPENHAGEN ACCORD 
 
REF: A. KUWAIT 43 
     ¶B. STATE 3079 
 
Classified By: Economic Counselor Oliver B. John for reasons 1.4 (b) an 
d (d). 
 
¶1. (C) On January 31st, Econoff followed up on the status of 
Kuwait's deliberations on associating with the Copenhagen 
Accord with Captain Ali Al-Haider, the Deputy Director 
General for Kuwait's Environmental Public Authority (KEPA) 
(ref B).  Al-Haider, the head of Kuwait's interagency climate 
committee, stated that after consulting internally and 
regionally with GCC officials (ref A), the GoK decided to not 
associate itself with the Accord.  He added that the GoK 
would be sending a detailed response to the UNFCCC 
Secretariat office outlining the reasons for the decision, 
which he characterized as "economic, political and 
consensus-based." 
 
¶2. (C) Al-Haider explained that during the January 25th GCC 
meeting, held in Kuwait, all six GCC countries declined to 
associate with the Accord.  Four countries, including Kuwait, 
would be sending their dissent responses to the QFCCC 
secretariat for the official record in the coming days. 
(Note: The dissent had not been sent at the time Econoff met 
with Al-Haider.  End Note.)  Al-Haider claimed that during 
the meeting he called upon Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the two 
countries not planning to respond on the record, to document 
their dissent position and "not keep quiet" so that their 
silence would not be later misunderstood to mean tacit 
support for the Accord. 
 
¶3. (C) Al-Haider noted that, from a GCC perspective, the 
Accord was not beneficial given the GCC's dependence on oil. 
He added that the GoK did not want to break consensus with 
the other GCC countries.  Al-Haider remarked that the GCC's 
collective concern is that, while the Copenhagen Accord is 
not presently a legally binding document, eventually it could 
become one.  When Econoff asked why the GoK declined to 
associate with the Copenhagen Accord, but was a 2005 
signatory to the Kyoto Protocol, Al-Haider stated that the 
Kyoto Protocol would expire in 2012 and only had teeth if the 
signatories invested financial and technical capacity. 
Al-Haider added that the Kyoto Protocol had a scaled emission 
reduction strategy, while the Copenhagen Accord requires a 
commitment to a specific reduction percentage.  As it stands, 
Al-Haider implied, the GoK reaps the benefits of being a 
Kyoto Protocol signatory without the pressures of 
implementing the requirements. 
 
¶4. (C) Politically, Al-Haider commented that the GoK "off the 
record" was not happy with the Copenhagen Summit leadership's 
response to the tensions at the summit.  Al-Haider stated 
that he and other participants felt that some world leaders 
at the summit behaved and spoke in an "imperial" tone and 
manner, "dictating" to the rest of the assembly.  Al-Haider 
implied that the GoK and the GCC's dissent are in part 
intended as a form of rebuke for this perceived slight. 
 
¶5.  (C) Comment: The GoK responseQ the Copenhagen Accord is 
disappointing, given recent Kuwaiti conversations about their 
interest in investing in renewable energy.  Although the 
Kuwaitis have taken some steps to explore renewable energy 
and "talk a good game" in meetings with USG officials, they 
are clearly unwilling to buck regional petroleum-exporting 
state consensus on this issue by taking a leadership role. 
Nonetheless, Post plans to reclama the Kuwaiti position at 
higher levels within the GoK in coming weeks.  End comment. 
 
********************************************* ********* 
For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: 
visit Kuwait's Classified Website at: 
 
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Kuwa it 
********************************************* ********* 
JONES