Appointing someone to head the UN's annual climate talks can spark outrage among climate campaigners. But that seemed to be less of an issue this year when Brazilian veteran diplomat Andre Correa do Lago was handed the role.

With more than two decades of experience working in sustainability, he is widely seen as a logical pick for the November talks to be held in the Amazon. But regardless of his expertise at the negotiating table, he says conflict, trade wars and a political shift to the right are all making climate diplomacy more challenging.

"It is a complex context," he explained, speaking exclusively to DW on the sidelines of the recent interim climate conference in Bonn. "But all presidents of COPs say that their COP is happening at a very special and difficult moment."

An important issue for him is making sure the issue of climate change remains relevant. Particularly given that there are so many other things going on "that affect people's lives more directly, that affect politicians more directly, and that affect the economy more directly."

Indeed, Russia's war in Ukraine, conflict in the Middle East, and US-imposed trade tariffs have increasingly dominated headlines and political agendas. But that does not mean temperature rise is slowing.

"Unfortunately, we are having wars, we're having very serious things........

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