The Climate Question The oil lobbyist who tried to sink the first big climate deal
Nov 20, 2025
Dive into the shadowy world of lobbyists with the story of Don Pearlman, a master strategist who hindered climate negotiations from the 1990s onward. Discover the tactics he employed, like manipulating language and exploiting NGO access, to stall crucial agreements like the Kyoto Protocol. Learn how his influence shaped modern lobbying and left a legacy that still impacts today's climate discussions. As COP30 unfolds, reflect on the ongoing struggle between fossil fuel interests and the push for genuine action on climate change.
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Consensus Gives Power To Spoilers
- COP meetings run on full consensus, making them vulnerable to single actors who want to block progress.
- Fossil fuel lobbyists attend to influence wording and slow negotiations without being official negotiators.
Don Perlman's Playbook In Action
- Don Perlman attended UN climate meetings constantly and became notorious for using procedural tactics to sow doubt.
- He worked with delegates to tweak language and create splits between countries during negotiations.
Handwritten Notes And Procedural Delays
- Perlman couldn't sit in the plenary, so he sent handwritten notes to sympathetic delegations with edits like 'delete paragraph four.'
- Negotiators describe him as tenacious and skilled at finding technicalities to delay agreements.
