Cablegate: Brazil: Interested in the Washington International

VZCZCXRO1753
RR RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD
DE RUEHBR #2044 3020939
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 290939Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0264
INFO RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 1030
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 5299
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 7252
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS BRASILIA 002044

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA/BSC, WHA/EPSC, OES/PCI SPECHT AND OES/FO HILL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID ENRG EPET SENV SOCI TRGY KPAO KGHG BR
SUBJECT: BRAZIL: INTERESTED IN THE WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL
RENEWABLE ENERGY CONFERENCE (WIREC 2008)

REF: A) STATE 138428, B) STATE 80344, C) E-MAILS SPECHT-DRISCOLL

10/25/2007

1. (U) THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED AND NOT FOR
INTERNET DISTRIBUTION.

2. (SBU) Drawing on REFS, ESTH Counselor Driscoll had a series of
conversations in mid- and late-October with Brazilian Ministry of
Exterior Relations (MRE) Chief of the Division of Division for New
and Renewable Energy Resources, Counselor Claudia Vieira Santos,
about the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference
(WIREC), which will take place in March 2008.

3. (SBU) Santos showed substantial interest in the topic. She
noted that Brazil had attended the two predecessors to WIREC, in
Bonn and Beijing. At the last such conference in Beijing, the
Minister of Mines and Energy led the Brazilian delegation. For
WIREC, she indicated it probably would again be the Minister of
Mines and Energy. Currently, that position is being held by Acting
Minister Nelson Jose Hubner Moreira.

4. (SBU) The MRE will be organizing the Brazilian delegation to
WIREC. Santos raised two particular concerns: (1) whether climate
change would be on the agenda of WIREC; and (2) whether there would
be a repeat of the dispute at a prior such conference over whether
hydropower constituted a renewable energy source. For Brazil,
hydropower is a major source of electric power generation and they
believe it needs to be viewed as an acceptable, clean, renewable
energy source. Per REF C, ESTH Counselor responded to Santos that
climate change was not included in the agenda, though the question
may come up in the conference. Also, he said that the USG was not
going to challenge hydropower at WIREC, which was important since
the USG is the host. Santos said she would inform the Embassy when
she had more details on the composition of the Brazilian
delegation.

5. (U) The name and mailing address for the Acting Minister of
Mines and Energy are as follows:

Acting Minister Nelson Jose Hubner Moreira
Ministry of Mines and Energy
Esplanada dos Ministerios, Bloco "U"
CEP: 70.065-900 Brasilia - DF
BRAZIL

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