The next UN climate chief will be Simon Stiell, the environment minister of Grenada, a surprise appointment that will cement the importance of holding global temperature rises to 1.5C.
Stiell will face the task of putting countries back on track to meet international climate goals at a time of rising geopolitical tensions and a global energy price crisis.
Nations will meet for what is likely to be a fractious UN climate summit in Egypt, called Cop27, in less than three months. But the prospects of success are increasingly slim.