Behind the Scenes at Kyoto: Drama and diplomacy on the world stage

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Mar 27, 2025

Discover the fascinating behind-the-scenes story of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol and its lasting legacy in climate diplomacy. Hear insights on how the play 'Kyoto' dramatizes these bureaucratic negotiations, making the emotional stakes clear. Veteran negotiators share how the Protocol amplified the voices of vulnerable nations and sparked a clean tech revolution. With reflections on the evolving landscape of global climate negotiations, the discussion highlights the intersection of art and activism, revealing how storytelling can inspire hope and solidarity in tackling climate change.

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ANECDOTE

A Fight at COP3

Farhana Yamin witnessed a fight between two negotiators at COP3 in Kyoto.
Ambassador John Ash and Rafe Pomerantz got into a "fisticuff" fight.

ANECDOTE

Prescott's Response

Nick Mabey had an encounter with John Prescott at Kyoto.
Prescott responded to Mabey's lobbying with: "Don't you patronise me, young man."

ANECDOTE

Paris Agreement Corrections

Richard Kinley reflects on his time at COP21 in Paris.
He recalls reading corrections to the Paris Agreement to ensure its adoption.

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What did it take to get nearly 200 nations to agree on tackling climate change in 1997? And what have we learned in the decades since?

In this episode, we reflect on the drama, the impact and the legacy of the Kyoto Protocol, and go behind the scenes of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s powerful and acclaimed production of Kyoto, currently playing in London’s West End.

After watching a performance of the play this week, Christiana Figueres, Tom Rivett-Carnac and Paul Dickinson introduced a live event at The Conduit, bringing together those who were in the room at COP3 in Kyoto with those now shaping the path to COP30 in Belém and beyond.

First, we hear from a panel of seasoned voices from the world of international climate diplomacy, moderated by climate journalist Ed King. Farhana Yamin, longtime negotiator for small island states, speaks of how Kyoto helped amplify the voices of vulnerable nations for the first time. Nick Mabey, co-founder of E3G, reflects on Kyoto’s economic impact, arguing that it sparked a global clean tech revolution by making climate action economically viable. And Richard Kinley, former Deputy Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, offered rare insights into the diplomacy that shaped Kyoto. Together, they paint a vivid picture of Kyoto’s legacy and what it still offers to today’s climate movement.

Later, we hear from the playwrights behind Kyoto, Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson, about how they turned bureaucratic negotiations into riveting on-stage drama.

So, what’s changed since 1997? Are we in a better place thanks to Kyoto? And is multilateralism still fit for purpose in today’s world?

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Producer: Ben Weaver-Hincks

Video Producer: Caitlin Hanrahan

Exec Producers: Ellie Clifford and Dino Sofos

Commissioning Editor: Sarah Thomas

This is a Persephonica production for Global Optimism and is part of the Acast Creator Network.

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