This year, the United Nations’ annual climate change talk has all the makings of a dysfunctional family dinner.

Azerbaijan, the small petrostate which is run by authoritarian rule, only landed the gig to host the talk after an unusual prisoner swap. And intervention by Russia. Meanwhile, participating countries like Ukraine and Russia, are at war with each other.

Today, national environment and climate editor, Nick O’Malley, who visited Azerbaijan to witness the country's preparations for the talk, on how countries navigate competing agendas in order to help us all survive climate change. And the moral loophole Australia has been clinging to, that it might soon be pressured to give up.