Cablegate: Senator Kerry at the Bali Climate Change Conference

VZCZCXRO1618
OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #3395 3480708
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 140708Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7398
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 4577
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0560
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1763
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1066
RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 3593
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1314
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 2158
RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH 0493
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHHJJPI/USPACOM HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS JAKARTA 003395

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, H, OES
NSC FOR EPHU

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL OVIP SENV ID
SUBJECT: SENATOR KERRY AT THE BALI CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE

REF: JAKARTA 3363

1. (U) SUMMARY: From December 9-11, Senator John Kerry
(D-MA) attended the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC) talks in Bali, Indonesia. During the
visit, Kerry met Indonesian President Yudhoyono, the
Indonesian Environment Minister, and a group of Indonesian
legislators. The Senator also held numerous bilateral
meetings, convened a roundtable with key NGOs, and met with
the media. Throughout the course of his visit, Kerry
consistently underscored the importance of immediate action
on climate change. END SUMMARY.

2. (U) A WHIRLWIND TRIP: Senator Kerry was the sole
representative of the U.S. Senate in Bali after voting
scheduling conflicts compelled three separate CODELs to
cancel plans to attend the UNFCCC talks. (Note:
Representative Faleomavaega was in Bali from November 28
through December 5.) Senator Kerry was also forced to pare
back his time in Bali in order to accommodate the Senate
voting schedule, ultimately limiting his visit to 36 hours.
Reftel reviews his meeting with President Yudhoyono.

3. (U) MEETING WITH LEGISLATORS: On December 10, Senator
Kerry hosted a breakfast for members of the Indonesian
Parliament (DPR) and their staffs. Simone Patrice Morin
(Golkar), H. Achmad Farial (PPP), and Airlangga Hartarto
(Golkar) represented the DPR at the breakfast and discussed
Indonesia's environmental challenges. Hartarto talked about
the importance of developing sustainable ways to use
Indonesia's dwindling forests, while H. Achmad Farial
outlined the political challenges associated with the central
government's use of fuel subsidies.

4. (U) Senator Kerry urged the legislators to do their part
to address climate change. Kerry acknowledged the political
high wire act required to balance constituent and corporate
interests while moving forward on climate change, but
underscored the need for immediate action. When Senator
Kerry asked the legislators what the United States could do
in order to help Indonesia address its environmental
challenges, the legislators stressed the need for
collaboration on technology transfers and capacity building.

5. (U) A PACKED SCHEDULE: During the course of Senator
Kerry's 36 hours attending the UNFCCC talks in Bali, Kerry
held bilateral talks with the French delegation, China,
Australia, Japan, Germany, the EU, a group of European
Parliamentarians, and the Association of Small Island States
(AOSIS). Senator Kerry also met with approximately 25 people
from the international environmental NGO community, discussed
the status of the UNFCCC negotiations with State Department
Climate Negotiator Harlan Watson, and delivered the keynote
address to a gathering of several hundred people from the
United States Climate Action Network (USCAN).

6. (U) Senator Kerry also conducted a press conference and
held one-one-one interviews with AP, BBC, and the Washington
Post. He also appeared with newly installed Australian
Environment Minister Peter Garrett for a photo spray.

7. (U) THE NEED FOR ACTION ASAP: Throughout Senator Kerry's
visit, he called for a "global solution" to the climate
change issue. Kerry stressed that the United States should
take a global leadership role in forging a new climate change
treaty and said the Congress should adopt mandatory emissions
limits by 2009, if not sooner. Senator Kerry also
consistently urged developing nations to avoid making the
same mistakes the United States and other industrialized
countries have been making since the Industrial Revolution.

8. (U) This message was cleared by Senator Kerry's office.
HUME

© Scoop Media