US embassy cable - 05PARIS8016

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 008016 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR G, OES, OES/GC, EUR/WE 
WHITE HOUSE FOR COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY 
DOE FOR OFFICE OF CLIMATE TECHNOLOGY 
EPA FOR INTERNATIONAL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV, TPHY, TSPA, TSPL, KSCA, FR 
SUBJECT: CLIMATE CHANGE: FRENCH PREPARE FOR 
MONTREAL 
 
REF: 04 Paris 5567 
 
1.  (SBU) Summary: In the run-up to the 
UNFCCC/Kyoto meetings in Montreal, Embassy 
officers visited French environment officials to 
learn what was on their minds.  All expressed 
praise for USG climate science and climate 
technology work, something of a change from 
mostly negative comments toward U.S. climate 
policy heretofore.  They also said they "hope" 
that "meaningful discussions" with the U.S. 
delegation can take place in Montreal on the post- 
2012 (`post-Kyoto') period.  In addition to our 
talks, Prime Minister de Villepin made recent 
comments about France's emissions reductions and 
its long-term Kyoto commitment.  End Summary. 
 
Sooner or later views will mesh 
------------------------------- 
 
2. (SBU) A senior official at the Ecology 
Ministry expressed to ESTH officers "his belief" 
that, while the French and U.S. approaches to the 
climate currently fail to coincide, they will 
eventually draw closer.  He repeatedly 
acknowledged the "considerable" and "exemplary" 
efforts made by the U.S. to advance climate 
research and promote transformational energy 
technologies.  He further highlighted that, 
within the European framework, France 
participates in almost all G-8 initiatives, is 
active in joint initiatives, including those with 
the U.S.  These include partnerships on carbon 
sequestration, hydrogen economy, Generation IV, 
ITER, and will soon, if it hasn't already, sign 
on to the Methane-to-Markets Partnership.  ESTH 
officers underscored that U.S. efforts are 
succeeding in reducing emissions of greenhouse 
gases in the U.S. 
 
Mandatory emissions controls remain key. 
---------------------------------------- 
 
3. (SBU) Summarizing the French position, the 
Ecology Ministry official thought the 
establishment of "a price for carbon" was key 
under Kyoto and was necessary to create an 
incentive system for the reduction of greenhouse 
gases.  He expressed his belief that France, the 
EU, and the U.S. will eventually agree on what he 
sees as the "more economic approach" to 
addressing the climate change problem.  He said 
the U.S. had pioneered reducing sulfur emissions, 
and possesses much know-how to share on market 
mechanisms.  He claimed the industrial sector, 
including in the U.S., seeks greenhouse gas 
emissions regulations and insisted that clear and 
strong signals must be provided now to long-term 
investors for the post-2012 period. 
 
"Get the market incentives working" 
----------------------------------- 
 
4. (SBU) A representative of the French 
Interministerial Task Force on Climate Change 
similarly told ESTH officers: 
 
-- Kyoto creates a carbon price necessary to 
define market incentives.  The European carbon- 
trading scheme permits the implementation of 
Kyoto CDM and joint implementation mechanisms, 
and one of the French/EU expectations for COP 11 
is to persuade the industry sector to make better 
use of these mechanisms. 
 
-- Existing/new energy technologies help address 
global emissions, but will not by themselves be 
sufficient.  The Montreal meetings present an 
opportunity to explore ways of moving forward 
with non-Annex 1 countries. 
 
Everybody should be "onboard" 
----------------------------- 
 
5. (SBU) In a separate meeting with a senior 
environment official at the Foreign Affairs 
Ministry, ESTH officers heard additional views 
re France's expectations: 
 
-- The GOF seeks official action on the 
`Marakech agreements' so that the Kyoto Protocol 
and its tools can come into force immediately. 
 
-- The GOF seeks to launch open discussions on 
the post-2012 regime (texts stipulate that 
commitments for the second period are to be 
examined seven years before the start of the 
second period, she said). 
 
6. (SBU) She also said that "everybody" should 
be onboard the same basic approach to dealing 
with greenhouse gases, to include not only the 
U.S., but also major emerging countries.  But 
her words contained large `loopholes.'  She 
added, "Everybody should be part of the regime, 
although some of the modalities might not 
necessarily be binding and in some cases remain 
to be defined."  On the other hand, if the U.S. 
remains outside (an extension of the Kyoto-like 
regime in the post-2012 period), it will be 
"impossible" to persuade emerging countries to 
play their part and to plan to reduce greenhouse 
gas emissions beyond 2012. 
 
Maintain the market mechanism 
----------------------------- 
 
7. (SBU) Our MFA interlocutor also noted that 
France wants to maintain beyond 2012 a number of 
Kyoto mechanisms/tools (e.g., CDM and `joint 
implementation'), but "with possible 
adaptations." Concerning the mandatory reduction 
issue, the MFA repeated that to have a carbon 
price there must be some offer and some 
constraint - without constraint, no market for 
carbon will develop. Additionally, she thought 
that for France, the energy debate in the U.S. 
remains "too focused on energy supply and not on 
the regulation of energy demand."  She also 
thought France needs to work harder on energy 
efficiency (e.g., regulations, incentives, and 
the development of new technologies).  France 
does not believe in the "tout technologie" - the 
all technology approach, the rubric often used 
in France to describe the U.S. system. 
 
Prime Minister speaks up, too 
----------------------------- 
 
8. (U) On November 14, at a meeting to follow up 
on the French climate plan launched in July 2004 
(reftel), Prime Minister de Villepin commented 
on France's recent efforts to reduce greenhouse 
gases. While acknowledging the importance of 
international cooperation, he also stressed the 
actions necessary at the national level, as well 
as the responsibility of the public.  He 
announced new measures to encourage research on 
low-energy housing and development of renewable 
energy sources, including solar, and an increase 
in the tariff at which EDF [the national 
electricity company] buys photovoltaic solar 
energy. He highlighted measures aimed at 
developing bio-fuels and listed new requirements 
for cars, e.g., mandatory labeling of CO2 
emissions on all new vehicles, as well as the 
funding of a research program to design a family 
car which would consume less than three liters 
for fuel per one hundred kilometers. 
 
9. (U) On Kyoto, de Villepin stated that France 
"will pursue (its) efforts to convince 
industrialized countries and key emerging 
countries to join in.  Beyond this Protocol, 
(the GOF) wishes to negotiate new commitments 
right away on CO2 emissions as it is not 
possible to rely only on new techniques to reach 
environmental objectives." 
 
10. (SBU) Comment: ESTH officers let French 
interlocutors talk and what we got in return was 
a mix of private views and French policy. 
Nonetheless, we sensed a softer tone in French 
comments, especially as they acknowledged the 
U.S. leadership role in climate science and in 
developing climate friendly energy technologies. 
(As we have mentioned in other reporting, the 
French public sees the U.S. stereotypically as 
"the great polluter," lagging behind the more 
enlightened government understanding we gives 
the U.S. some credit for its efforts.)  The 
bottom line aspiration of French environmental 
officials for COP 11 is that somehow the talks 
be "more constructive (from their perspective)." 
They hold the view that without "the U.S. 
onboard," there will be no "viable" post-Kyoto 
GHG emissions regime.  French officials would be 
overjoyed were they (and others of like mind) to 
reach an understanding with the U.S. on a 
framework for future discussions.  ESTH officers 
provided no encouragement in this regard.  They 
highlighted U.S. climate efforts and noted that 
they are working.  End Comment. 
 
 
STAPLETON