THE WHITE HOUSE WASH I NGTON April 26 2000 MEMORANDUM FOR JOHN PODESTA FROM ROGER BALLENTINl RE CLIMATE CHANGE PRIORITIES Now that we are past Earth Day I am focusing on our climate change agenda for the remainder ofthe year In addition to the work we must do on both C9E6 and our budget jy roposals there are several different possible areas where we could seek to make demonstrab e impacts this year Given limited time and resources however we must prioritize I would like your view as to 1 what you think we should focus on and 2 whether it is necessary and appropriate to solicit the views ofthe PregjjJgnt and the Vice President Possible approaches include • Simply work to ensure maximum completion progress on existing major initiatives e g federal energy management bio-energy etc • Focus on international energy market clean energy exports and clean energy develo pment This is an area that combines the President’s broade isfon of developiTient in the new century with some specific proposaTsTexarnpl l hting companies that are doing this and spreading the message abroad • Focus on message of “bringing climate change home ” highlighting ways the real people can make decisions that will help the climate light bulbs Energy Star etc Focus on continuing to improve the federal governrnmfL jmjmmMdj f'forrnance and energy efficiency While wflHV ffonemuciniere already we could push contracting l m and perhaps other new ideas Focus on the corporate world We could keep pushing business to adopt a new mindset that marries environmental and economic priorities and measurements We could focus on interaction with business leaders and perhaps undertake an initiative with Wall St and the financial community as to how environmental climate impacts should be incorporated into standard financial evaluations ol'companies Focus on cars CAFE This could be at least a two-part strategy One we could fight the CAFE rider perhaps issue early veto threat and second we might propose reforms to or a substitute to CAFE This is obviously a volatile approach Focus onfuels We could decide that helping move our economy to one based on advanced fuels hydrogen is the single best thing we can do for the climate We could push a “Partnership for a New Generation of Fuels” focusing on both product development and infrastructure problems Focus on diplomacy In addition to the preparations we must make for COP6 we could have the President focus on a climate message ofmaking Kyoto a success To some extent this is likely to happen regardless as we approach COP6 and it is also related to a focus on international clean energy We have not however made it a domestic message priority Focus on Congress We could take a much more political and aggressive approach challenging Congress This focus might include a budget showdown although we are likely to get most ofwhat we are asking for a debate over a climate resolution or some other vehicle We could certainly undertake a combination ofthese issues and perhaps others I do however think it is important that we agree on some larger sense of what it is we hope to accomplish in the next nine months and your input would be very helpful Thank you cc George Frampton David Beier