US embassy cable - 04THEHAGUE3233

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 003233 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/UBI/HOLLIDAY 
STATE ALSO FOR G/DOBRIANSKY AND OES/A/S TURNER 
USAID FOR ADMINISTRATOR NATSIOS 
EPA FOR ADMINISTRATOR LEAVITT 
WHITE HOUSE FOR JAMES CONNAUGHTON 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, DEPUTY SECRETARY 
MCSLARROW 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV, ENRG, PREL, NL, EU 
SUBJECT: DUTCH SUGGEST INFORMAL MULTILATERAL TALKS ON 
CLIMATE CHANGE 
 
REF: THE HAGUE 2894 
 
1.  Summary:  In his capacity as Minister of Environment, 
Pieter van Geel met with senior USG officials in Washington 
(November 15) to discuss post-Kyoto climate change strategy. 
He gave the ambassador a readout of his meetings December 6. 
Though the Kyoto Protocol will be in effect until 2012, 
several environmental conferences in 2005 will shape the 
debate over post-Kyoto mechanisms to curb climate change. 
Van Geel left Washington reassured that the U.S. is committed 
to UN climate convention framework principles.  He believes 
early coordination and agreement between Europe and the U.S. 
on post-2012 climate change fundamentals is key to getting 
developing countries to negotiate and participate 
meaningfully in future negotiations. The Netherlands wants to 
host a meeting between U.S., UK, German and Luxembourg 
environmental officials in early 2005.  At this meeting, 
participants would discuss a set of principles that will help 
set the post-Kyoto agenda.  End Summary. 
 
2.  Ambassador Sobel and econoff met with State Secretary for 
Environment Pieter van Geel on 6 December for a readout of 
his November 15 trip to Washington (reftel).  Van Geel went 
to Washington to take soundings on his ideas for "new 
avenues" for climate change talks.  He met with EPA 
Administrator Leavitt, AID Administrator Natsios, CEQ 
Chairman Connaughton, and State U/S Dobriansky.  Van Geel 
also brought with him a formal application to the Carbon 
Sequestration Leadership Forum, but said the GONL had more 
internal "homework" to do before applying for membership in 
the International Partnership on the Hydrogen Economy. 
 
3.  Van Geel reported that he found his Washington meetings 
interesting and constructive.  He firmly believes the US and 
Europe should begin sharing views now on what a post-Kyoto 
climate change regime might look like.  Van Geel was struck 
by the fact that in his meetings there was no debate over 
climate change causes.  He left believing that "the U.S. 
seems to have accepted that at least some climate change is 
man-made." 
 
4.  Van Geel believes an agreement in principle between the 
U.S. and EU countries on a post-Kyoto strategy for climate 
change is necessary before the larger, developing country 
emitters will be convinced to join the discussions.  He is 
looking for ways developed countries can encourage, and where 
necessary, offer incentives to developing countries to adopt 
more environmentally sustainable mobility, energy, 
manufacturing and natural resource management.  Over the past 
year van Geel has met with environment and development 
officials in South Africa, India, Indonesia, China and Brazil 
in preparation for his role as EU representative to the 10th 
Conference of Parties (COP10) in Buenos Aeries.  On these 
visits he was reminded of developing country officials' 
priorities:  economic growth, then environmental quality. 
Van Geel concluded post-2012 climate change talks should 
involve IFIs and development banks, as well as donor and 
developing countries' finance, economic and development 
ministries.  Van Geel reiterated this point with the 
ambassador, specifically singling out the World Bank as an 
important potential partner. 
 
5.  At the end of 2005, parties to the framework convention 
on climate change will meet at COP11 and, hopefully, agree to 
the terms of reference for post-Kyoto global climate change. 
In preparation for this meeting, the Germans will host a 
conference in Bonn in mid-2005 to set the agenda for the UK 
COP11 summit.  In advance of this COP11 preparatory 
conference the Dutch want to host (possibly in March) 
informal consultations with the US, UK, Germany and 
Luxembourg.  The objective of this meeting would be to share 
opinions for the COP11 prepcon's content, the COP11 
conference itself, and future post-2012 discussions.  Van 
Geel promised a written proposal for U.S. participation in 
the consultations before the end of the year. 
 
6.  Van Geel said the Dutch would retain EU competence for 
climate change during the Luxembourg presidency.  He pointed 
out the UK will make climate change a priority during its 
2005 EU and G8 presidencies.  The UK will organize a 
scientific conference on the dangers of global warming.  They 
also will organize the COP11 and MOP1 (parties to the Kyoto 
Protocol) meetings. 
7.  Comment:  The Dutch have indicated they are willing to 
work with us on a common post-Kyoto climate change strategy. 
We have found van Geel and, importantly, his international 
affairs advisor Yvo de Boer, to be pragmatic and reasonable. 
Van Geel has indicated to us he recognizes the limitations of 
Kyoto's strict national caps, and the costs those have on 
economic growth, especially among developing countries.  We 
believe he understands future climate change mechanisms must 
be more flexible.  On this point he may be able to influence 
his European counterparts, and serve as an honest broker 
between the US and EU climate officials.  It would be 
advantageous to engage early in these post-Kyoto climate 
change discussions.  End Comment. 
SOBEL