UNCLASSIFIED Compiled by William E Dilday OES SEI· 736-7374 CONFIDENTIAL EAP Post Reports on Cl imat e Change Thursday October 30 1997 RELEASED IN FULL Australia Consulate Melbourne has spent the past several weeks interacting with key business leaders in the mining smelting and manufacturing industries on the climate change issue It reports that most individuals in the sector are both surprised and satisfied with PM Howard's aggressive pursuit for differen tiation SBU The major greephouse gas emitting companies have be en suavely lobbying the GOA since two years before the Rio Earth Summit to ensure the continued economic viability and growth of their inves ments They are extremely satisfied that their early efforts appear to hqve paid off and are overwhelmed by the PM's· personal commitment to their interests who is otherwise normally perceived to ·be l rgely indecisive Interestingly two-thirds of Australian company directors support emissions targets and 70% favor a legally binding agreement SBU They recognize that Australian NGOs have yet to make a full force pitch to the public on the issue hence there has yet to be a serious open debate on the matter But reportedly such NGOs are sma l and often divided and climate is an extremely complex issue on which to persuade the average Australian SBU New Zealand •GNZ MAFT officials remain unprepared our National Security Exemption proposal merit in our initiative and note that it Zealand emissions given the GNZ'-s modest peacekeeping operations C to react officially to Informally they see would not impact on New involvement in Japan Kyoto city officials plan to feature special tours of its famous pavilions and temples for COP-3 delegates believing the ancient wooden buildings could dramatize the potential dangers of global warming Consulate-General Osaka-Kobe suggests the U S delegation to Kyoto in prepared remarks and press statements make reference to the threat posed to ·these structures built in the 17th century and which have survived ·world War II and are designated World Cultural sites by possible increased frequency and severity of East Asian typhoons UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE REVIEW AUTHORITY ALAN H FLANIGAN DATE CASE ID 15 JAN 2010 200600252 U CONFIDENTIAL UNCLASSIFIED