Cablegate: Croatia Requests Us Support for Leniency On Kyoto

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

091509Z Dec 04

UNCLAS ZAGREB 002109

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV ECON PGOV HR
SUBJECT: CROATIA REQUESTS US SUPPORT FOR LENIENCY ON KYOTO
TARGETS

1. On December 7, the Croatian MFA submitted a request by
diplomatic note for U.S. support for a GoC application for
leniency in carbon dioxide emissions ahead of the UN
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) conference
currently ongoing in Buenos Aires. The GoC believes
fulfilling its Kyoto Protocol obligation to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions by 5% from 1990 levels would have negative
economic effects and has applied under UNFCCC Article 4.6 for
an increase of emissions over 1990 levels by 4.46 Mt. Eq-Co2.

2. The diplomatic note reads as follows.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Croatia
presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United States
of America in Zagreb and has the honor to inform the latter
that, in the light of the expected entering into force of the
Kyoto Protocol in February next year, Croatia is intensifying
the activities toward its ratification. In order to reach
this objective, we still have an open question to be resolved.

The Republic of Croatia became a party to the United Nations
Framework Convention of Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1996, and
by undertaking the commitments outlined in Annex I, Croatia
took an active part in the world,s efforts for the
mitigation of climate change.

It was in good faith that Croatia signed the Kyoto Protocol
in 1999. Having finished the first detailed national
inventory, we realized that a reduction of 5% of GHG
emissions in relation to the very low base year 1990 emission
level (4.8 t CO2 per capita) would seriously jeopardize and
make impossible any economic growth.

Having such as outcome in mind, Croatia had to request
flexibility under Article 4.6 of the UNFCCC to be applied in
our case and asked for an increase of level emission of the
base year by 4.46 Mt eq-CO2 in order to meet its Kyoto target
by domestic measures. In 2001, the Republic of Croatia
officially submitted the request for application of Article
4.6. In the process of its consideration, we met all the
conditions put before us by the UNFCCC bodies and interested
parties of the Convention.

The Convention bodies find Croatia eligible for application
of Article 4.6 The final decision on our request is to be
adopted on 10th Conference of Parties of the UNFCCC in Buenos
Aires, December 2004.

In order to commence the ratification process in Croatia in
2005, we kindly ask for the support of your country,s
delegation to enable the adoption of a positive decision
regarding the Croatian request.

The Ministry of Foreign Affaires of the Republic of Croatia
avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Embassy of
the Untied States of America in Zagreb the assurances of its
highest consideration.
FRANK

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