On The Record On COP30 and the Future of Climate Negotiations
Nov 14, 2025
David Sandalow, a clean energy expert and former U.S. negotiator at the Kyoto conference, teams up with David G. Victor, a distinguished public policy scholar, to dissect global climate negotiations. They reflect on the dramatic Kyoto talks and critique its rigid legal framework. The duo highlights China’s booming clean energy sector and its geopolitical implications, explores financing needs for climate resilience, and discusses how AI could drive emissions reductions. Their insights underscore the urgency for effective multilateral cooperation in climate action.
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Paris Shifted The Global Trajectory
- The Paris Agreement created global momentum and shifted market expectations about climate action.
- That shift reduced projected peak warming from ~7°F to ~4–4.5°F but still leaves dangerous warming ahead.
Kyoto: Sleepless, Optimistic, Dramatic
- David Sandalow recalled Kyoto as sleep-deprived and chaotic with negotiators exhausted.
- He praised the play Kyoto for dramatizing the real negotiation dynamics despite one fictional subplot.
Binding Targets Can Hamper Ambition
- Legally binding targets can produce conservatism and low ambition because governments focus on compliance.
- David Victor argues that encouraging experimentation and technology-led change beats strict legal quotas.
