INTEREST OF GAO IN U.S. COORDINATION OF CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90M00005R000600160004-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 22, 2013
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: December 16, 1988
• Content Type: CABLE

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/03/19: CIA-RDP90M00005R000600160004-0
CONFIDENTIAIL-
CONFIDENTIAL
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STATE
OCA
INCOMING
88 1288309 SCR
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RR RUEAIIB
ZNY CCCCC ZOC STATE ZZH
MSI2179
RR RUEHC
DE RUEHGV #3695/01 3511300
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 1613002 DEC 88
FM USMISSION GENEVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2349
INFO RUEHDC/USDOC WASHDC
RHEBAAA/DOE WASHDC
RUFHFT/AMCONSUL FRANKFURT 7767
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 3340
BT
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE GENEVA 13695
STATE PASS EPA WASHDC, DOI WASHDC, OSTP WASHDC, DHHS FOR
OIH (BELMONT), NAIROBI FOR FIGGINS, FRANKFURT FOR JONES
AND LEAVINS
E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS: SENV, ENRG, GAO, WMO. UNEP, WHO
SUBJECT: INTEREST OF GAO IN U.S. COORDINATION OF CLIMATE
CHANGE POLICY
1. SUMMARY: GAO STAFF MEMBERS JONES AND LEAVINS VISITED
GENEVA DECEMBER 4-9 TO INTERVIEW MISSION OFFICERS, WMO,
WHO, AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM SEVERAL GENEVA MISSIONS
ABOUT USG AND INTERNATIONAL RESPONSES TO THE CLIMATE
CHANGE ISSUE. JONES AND LEAVINS WERE RESPONDING TO
CONGRESSIONAL CONCERNS ABOUT COORDINATION OF THE USG
RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE. THEY ALSO SOUGHT
INFORMATION ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE INTERNATIONAL
ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED AND THOSE OF OTHER COUNTRIES.
THE GENERAL ANSWER WAS THAT THE USG WAS DOING A GOOD JOB
OF SPEAKING WITH ONE VOICE IN THE INTERNATIONAL ARENA.
BASED ON ITS PERFORMANCE AT THE NOVEMBER 9-11 MEETING OF
THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE, OES WAS
CREDITED WITH BEING EFFECTIVE IN ENUNCIATING A UNIFIED
U.S. STRATEGY AND POSITION. JONES AND LEAVINS TOLD THE
AMBASSADOR THAT THEIR TENTATIVE CONCLUSION WAS THAT THE
USG HAS DONE WELL IN THE PUBLIC AREA, BUT THEIR
INTERLOCUTORS WERE ALSO AWARE OF INTERNAL COORDINATION
PROBLEMS. THEY NOTED, HOWEVER, THAT SUCH PROBLEMS ARE
NOT UNIQUE TO OUR GOVERNMENT.
2. JONES AND LEAVINS ALSO NOTED THAT OTHER NATIONS AND
THE PRINCIPAL INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED, WMO
AND UNEP, ARE PROBABLY MORE CONCERNED ABOUT TRYING TO
OVERCOME THE PROBLEMS OF MULTI-AGENCY COORDINATION ON
THEIR OWN TURF. ACCORDINGLY, SOME CONCERNS WERE
EXPRESSED ABOUT THE NUMBER OF U.S. AGENCIES INVOLVED IN
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND THE MULTIPLICITY OF INTERESTS
THEY REPRESENT. THEY ASKED THEIR INTERLOCUTORS ABOUT
THE ADVISABILITY OF ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL CLIMATE
CHANGE "CZAR" OR ESTABLISHING A TASK FORCE ON
INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES. BOTH ARE APPARENTLY
STEPS WHICH CONGRESSMAN DINGELL HAS BEEN CONSIDERING.
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3. THE AUSTRALIANS AND CANADIANS, WHO DIFFER SHARPLY ON
THE EXTENT OF CLIMATE CHANGE, DESCRIBED THEIR
GOVERNMENTS' PROCESSES OF INTERAGENCY COORDINATION,
WHICH ARE MORE CENTRALIZED THAN OUR OWN. WMO OFFICIAL
MOREL DESCRIBED TO JONES AND LEAVINS THE FRENCH SYSTEM
OF INTERAGENCY COORDINATION, WHICH IS MANAGED BY A
STANDING TASK FORCE, INDEPENDENTLY FUNDED, WHICH HE USED
TO HEAD. JONES AND LEAVIN SAID THEY WOULD SEEK TO
INTERVIEW THIS FRENCH ORGANIZATION. END SUMMARY.
4. BILL LEAVINS AND JIM JONES OF THE GENERAL ACCOUNTING
OFFICE'S FRANKFURT OFFICE CONDUCTED A SERIES OF
INTERVIEWS IN GENEVA DECEMBER 4-9 TO LOOK INTO THE
DEGREE OF COORDINATION OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE
TO CLIMATE CHANGE. THE GAO HAS BEEN ASKED TO REPORT ON
THIS TOPIC BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE ENERGY AND
COMMERCE COMMITTEE, REP. JOHN D. DINGELL. GAO
REPRESENTATIVES MET WITH MISSION OFFICERS, INCLUDING THE
AMBASSADOR, HEALTH AND SCIENCE ATTACHE DENNIS JOHNSEN,
AND MISSION CONSULTANT (AND RETIRED NOAA EMPLOYEE)
GORDON CARTWRIGHT. CARTWRIGHT BRIEFED JONES AND LEAVINS
AT LENGTH ON THE ROLES OF THE VARIOUS U.S. AGENCIES
INVOLVED IN INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY. JONES
AND LEAVINS MET TWICE WITH CANADIAN JIM BRUCE, DEPUTY
DIRECTOR OF THE WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION, AND
WITH MEMBERS OF HIS STAFF, INCLUDING: THOMAS POTTER,
DIRECTOR, WORLD WEATHER WATCH PROGRAM, DR. A. MOREL,
DIRECTOR OF THE WORLD CLIMATE RESEARCH PROGRAM, AND N.
SUNDARAMAN, SECRETARY OF THE INTERNATIONAL PANEL ON
CLIMATE CHANGE. THEY MET ALSO WITH OFFICERS FROM THE
MISSIONS OF AUSTRALIA, GREAT BRITAIN, AND THE U.K. WHO
FOLLOW ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.
5. JONES AND LEAVINS RAISED THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN
ALL INTERVIEWS.
-- HAS THE U.S. PRESENTED A COORDINATED APPROACH ON
INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES?
-- IS THE U.S. SPEAKING WITH ONE VOICE IN THE
INTERNATIONAL ARENA?
CONFIDENTIAL
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 02 OF 04 GENEVA 13695
STATE PASS EPA WASHDC, DOI WASHDC, OSTP WASHDC, DHHS FOR
OIH (BELMONT), NAIROBI FOR FIGGINS, FRANKFURT FOR JONES
AND LEAVINS
E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS: SENV, ENRG, GAO, WMO, UNEP, WHO
SUBJECT: INTEREST OF GAO IN U.S. COORDINATION OF CLIMATE
-- WOULD U.S. POLICY BE BETTER SERVED BY THE
APPOINTMENT OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY CZAR OR A TASK
FORCE TO COORDINATE U.S. ACTIVITIES ON INTERNATIONAL
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES?
-- HOW DO THE VARIOUS INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES INTERACT
WITH THE U.S. GOVERNMENT ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES?
6. AT WMO, SEVERAL INTERLOCUTORS DESCRIBED THE RELATION
BETWEEN VARIOUS ELEMENTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL
ORGANIZATION AND ELEMENTS OF THE U.S. ACADEMIC
COMMUNITY. SUNDARAMAN NOTED THAT U.S. COORDINATION
SEEMED TO HAVE IMPROVED MARKEDLY, BUT THERE WERE STILL
IIRROBLEMS TRYING TO DEAL WITH SO MANY AGENCIES. FOR
INSTOCE, IT IS SOMETIMES DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY WHICH
INDIVIDUALS SHOULD BE NOMINATED FOR CERTAIN TASKS. HE
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SUGGESTED THAT PROGRAMS MIGHT BE EFFECTIVELY COORDINATED
AT THE LEVEL OF THE PRESIDENT'S SCIENCE ADVISOR.
DIRECTOR OF WORLD CLIMATE RESEARCH PROGRAM MOREL WAS
INITIALLY CRITICAL OF U.S. COORDINATION ON INTERNATIONAL
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES (COMPARING IT UNFAVORABLY TO THE
FRENCH TASK FORCE HE USED TO HEAD) BUT, WHEN PRESSED,
DESCRIBED FOR OVER AN HOUR THE LARGE RANGE OF
COOPERATIVE PROGRAMS UNDERTAKEN BY HIS OFFICE WITH THE
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION, NOAA, NASA, AND THE
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY. THESE INCLUDE SUCH DIVERSE AND
EXPENSIVE PROGRAMS AS SUPPORT FOR WMO'S TROPICAL
ATMOSPHERE RESEARCH PROGRAM, ANTARCTIC RESEARCH, AND
WEATHER SATELLITES. HE NOTED THAT THE LARGE NUMBER OF
U.S. AGENCIES ENGAGED IN ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH ENABLED
HIM TO HAVE A VARIETY OF FUNDING SOURCES FOR HIS
RESEARCH PROJECTS.
7. WMO DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL JIM BRUCE EXPLAINED THE
ROLE OF HIS AGENCY IN GATHERING DATA TO SUBSTANTIATE
CLIMATE CHANGE, EMPHASIZING THE ORGANIZATION'S MANY
YEARS OF AUTHORITATIVE STUDY OF THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE.
HE STATED FRANKLY WHAT IS WELL-KNOWN, THAT THERE WERE
TENSIONS BETWEEN WMO AND THE UNITED NATIONS
ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM (UNEP). THE CHANGE IN THE CLIMATE
WAS, HE SAID, DISCOVERED BY THE CAREFUL COLLECTION OF
DATA BY WMO. IN CONTRAST, UNEP HAS BEEN QUICK TO TAKE
CREDIT FOR THE PUBLICIZING OF THE CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUE.
IN SOME RESPECTS, HE SAID, THE TENSION BETWEEN WMO AND
UNEP REFLECTS THE DIFFERENT ROLES OF, FOR INSTANCE, EPA
IN THE U.S., WHICH WORKS CLOSELY WITH UNEP, AND NOAA AND
THE NSF, WHICH WORK CLOSELY WITH WMO.
8. ON THE SUBJECT OF THE COORDINATION OF U.S. POLICY,
BRUCE (AND ALL WMO OFFICIALS) SAID THE U.S. HAD SPOKEN
FROM ONE SCRIPT AT THE RECENT MEETING OF THE
INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE (IPCC) AND ON
ALL INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES THEY COULD
RECALL. BRUCE SAID THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT EXERCISED
STRONGER CENTRAL CONTROL OVER THE POLICYMAKING PROCESS
THROUGH ITS DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT. HOWEVER, AS
IN THE U.S., A MULTIPLICITY OF INTERESTS WERE
REPRESENTED BY DIFFERENT CANADIAN AGENCIES. IN HIS
DIRECT DEALINGS WITH U.S. AGENCIES, BRUCE SAID, HE WAS
SOMETIMES WORRIED BECAUSE OF THE DIFFERING PERSPECTIVES
EXPRESSED BY THE U.S. AGENCIES, BUT NOTED THIS
REPRESENTED DIFFERING CONSTITUENCIES.
9. IN HIS TALKS WITH JONES AND LEAVINS, MOREL SUGGESTED
THAT THE USG CONSIDER THE FORMATION OF A
SCIENTIFIC/TECHNICAL GROUP WHICH WOULD COORDINATE U.S.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY. HE SAID THAT HE HAD CHAIRED A
SIMILAR GROUP IN FRANCE. HE EMPHASIZED THAT SUCH A
GROUP MUST HAVE DIRECT APPROPRIATIONS, IN OTHER WORDS,
HAVE SUFFICIENT RESOURCES TO BE INDEPENDENT OF THE
AGENCIES IT COORDINATES. JONES AND LEAVINS EXPRESSED
INTEREST IN CALLING ON THIS ORGANIZATION, CHAIRED BY
(FNU) DUPLASSEY UNDER THE AEGIS OF THE FRENCH MINISTRY
OF SCIENCE. IN GERMANY, MOREL SAID, THE PROCESS IS
HIGHLY CENTRALIZED UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE FEDERAL
MINISTRY FOR TECHNOLOGY AND RESEARCH.
10. WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: JONES AND LEAVINS HAD A
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LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 03 OF 04 GENEVA 13695
STATE PASS EPA WASHDC, DOI WASHDC, OSTP WASHDC, DHHS FOR
OIH (BELMONT), NAIROBI FOR FIGGINS, FRANKFURT FOR JONES
AND LEAVINS
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E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS: SENV, ENRG, GAO, WMO, UNEP, WHO
SUBJECT: INTEREST OF GAO IN U.S. COORDINATION OF CLIMATE
SHORT VISIT WITH G. OZOLINS, WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION IN WHO'S DIVISION OF
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. OZOLINS SAID THAT WHO HAD BEEN AN
OBSERVER AT THE IPCC AND THAT HE WAS JUST BEGINNING TO
BE INVOLVED IN THE CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUE. HE SAID THAT
WHO/EH IS EMBARKING ON A GLOBAL ASSESSMENT OF HEALTH
PROBLEMS AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN COOPERATION WITH THE
SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE ON PROBLEMS OF THE ENVIRONMENT
(SCOPE) AND THE INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFIC
UNIONS (ICSU). THROUGH THE US COMMITTEE FOR SCOPE, THIS
EFFORT IS LIKELY TO INVOLVE THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF
SCIENCE AND A SEARCH FOR SPONSORS. OZOLINS DID POINT
OUT THAT WHO/EH IS WORKING CLOSELY WITH EPA AND NIEHS AS
WHO COLLABORATING CENTERS. (COMMENT: CLIMATE CHANGE
OBVIOUSLY IMPACTS SIGNIFICANTLY ON MANY AREAS OF
HEALTH. IT IS THEREFORE SURPRISING THAT THE HEALTH
ASPECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE HAVE NOT RECEIVED MORE
ATTENTION SO FAR. THE HEALTH SECTOR IS LIKELY TO BECOME
MORE INVOLVED IN THE FUTURE. END COMMENT.)
11. MEETINGS AT OTHER MISSIONS: JONES AND LEAVINS WERE
BRIEFED BY CANADIAN MISSIONOFF SLOANE ON THE
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFORTS OF THE ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR
EUROPE (ECE) WHICH HOSTS A NUMBER OF ENVIRONMENTAL
MEETINGS AND WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONVENTION ON
LONG-RANGE TRANSBOUNDARY AIR POLLUTION. HE SAID THE
U.S. SPOKE WITH ONE VOICE AT THE MEETINGS HE HAD
OBSERVED, MOST RECENTLY THE IPCC. SLOANE EMPHASIZED
THAT ENVIRONMENTAL TOPICS WERE ONE OF THE LARGEST SINGLE
AREAS OF DISPUTE BETWEEN THE U.S. AND CANADA, SO WHAT
WERE OFTEN BASIC POLICY DISAGREEMENTS WITH THE U.S.
SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED CRITICISM OF THE U.S.
INTERAGENCY POLICY PROCESS. HE SAID THE CANADIAN
GOVERNMENT AT TIMES SOUGHT DIRECTLY TO INFLUENCE
INTERAGENCY PLAYERS WHO HAD VIEWS COMPATIBLE WITH ITS
OWN. SOMETIMES, HE SAID, THE U.S. PARTICIPATION IN
WORKING GROUPS COULD PROFIT FROM GREATER COORDINATION,
BUT THE CANADIANS GENERALLY WANT THE U.S. TO TAKE A
STRONGER ROLE IN WORKING GROUPS (REFLECTING A CANADIAN
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY WHICH IS MORE ACTIVIST THAN OUR
OWN.) SLOANE LIKEWISE PRAISED THE U.S. NEGOTIATORS OF
THE NITROGEN OXIDE PROTOCOL. SLOANE CONFIRMED WHAT JIM
BRUCE HAD SAID, THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT
IN CANADA PLAYS A STRONGER ROLE IN COORDINATING
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY THAT ANY COMPARABLE U.S. AGENCY BUT
CITED SEVEN AGENCIES ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN FORMULATING
CANADIAN ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY.
12. AT THE AUSTRALIAN MISSION, COUNSELOR MIKE SMITH
SAID ALSO THE U.S. SPOKE WITH ONE VOICE IN THE IPCC.
AUSTRALIA, HE SAID, WAS MORE SKEPTICAL ABOUT THE
SCIENTIFIC DATA THAN THE U.S. HAD BEEN. IN THE OZONE
PROTOCOL, HE SAID, THE U.S. HAD TAKEN A VERY ACTIVIST
POLICY AND NEGOTIATED VERY EFFECTIVELY. HE NOTED,
HOWEVER, THAT THOSE IN OTHER GOVERNMENTS WHO WANT TO
"DRAW ON A STRAND" IN U.S. POLICY CAN DO SO. HE
RECALLED THAT THE AUSTRALIAN AND U.S. TECHNICAL AGENCIES
HAD WORKED CLOSELY OVER THE YEARS AND WERE FAR MORE
LIKELY TO AGREE THAN SOME AGENCIES IN THE SAME
GOVERNMENT.
13. SMITH SAID THAT THE AUSTRALIAN APPROACH TO CLIMATE
CHANGE WAS MORE COORDINATED THAN OUR OWN. THE SCIENCE
'COMCIL TAKES THE LEAD, WITH FOREIGN AFFAIRS IN A
SUBSIDIARY ROLE. BUT AT LEAST FIVE OTHER AGENCIES ARE
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ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS. FOR INSTANCE, HE
SAID, EACH WORKING PARTY OF THE IPCC HAS BEEN ASSIGNED
TO A DIFFERENT AUSTRALIAN MINISTRY.
14. SEVERAL INTERLOCUTORS COMMENTED THAT WHILE THE USG
HAD BEEN EFFECTIVE AND WELL-COORDINATED AT THE IPCC.
THERE WAS ALSO GENERAL AWARENESS THAT THE UNITED STATES
DOES HAVE PROBLEMS IN REACHING INTERNAL AGREEMENT.
THESE PROBLEMS, HOWEVER, IT WAS COMMENTED, WERE NOT/NOT
UNIQUE TO THE CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUE NOR UNIQUE TO THE USG.
15. COMMENT: IT SEEMS CLEAR TO THIS MISSION THAT
CLIMATE CHANGE IS AN AREA THAT WILL TAKE ON INCREASED
CONFIDENTIAL
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 04 OF 04 GENEVA 13695
STATE PASS EPA WASHDC, DOI WASHDC, OSTP WASHDC, DHHS FOR
OIH (BELMONT), NAIROBI FOR FIGGINS, FRANKFURT FOR JONES
AND LEAVINS
E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS: SENV, ENRG, GAO, WMO, UNEP, WHO
SUBJECT: INTEREST OF GAO IN U.S. COORDINATION OF CLIMATE
IMPORTANCE. WE FOUND JONES' AND LEAVINS' VISIT VERY
HELPFUL IN AIDING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE DIMENSIONS OF
THE ISSUES INVOLVED AND LOOK FORWARD TO THEIR REPORT.
PETRONE
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