Rutte plans to go attend UN climate summit COP26 in Scotland

Caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte is planning to attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference, which will be held in the Scottish city of Glasgow later this year. A spokesperson said that Rutte intends to be present at the summit, called COP26, barring unexpected changes in the agenda.

World leaders will gather in Glasgow on November 1 and 2 to discuss limiting global warming. Political leaders and heads of state will discuss the goals agreed in the Paris climate agreement in 2015, among other issues. Reducing carbon emissions has become an important topic for many world leaders, especially after an alarming report by the UN climate panel IPCC in August.

Recent flooding, forest fires and hurricanes have also ensured that the topic will be discussed with more urgency. Experts agree that extreme natural phenomena are occurring more frequently due to the changing climate.

Rutte also attended COP25 held in Madrid in 2019. He used his speech to remind people that a third of the Netherlands is below sea level, and pledged the Netherlands would continue to make financial commitments to help tackle the problem. He also said, "As well as our financial contributions, the Netherlands is more than willing to share its knowledge and experience with you."