PM Mark Rutte weighs in on Russia, China not attending UN climate summit

Prime Minister Mark Rutte will participate in the UN Climate Change Conference in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt on Nov. 7. During a press conference, the prime minister said he believes the summit can still be a success, despite Russia and China's plans to skip the event.

"I think it can succeed. But that will require an extreme effort," the prime minister said at the Nov. 4 press conference.

Rutte will give a speech on behalf of the Cabinet at the event, as well as meet with government leaders and youth activists, according to the Ministry of General Affairs. Several other ministers will also participate in the conference on different days.

Several African governments have expressed hopes that the climate conference's location in Egypt will draw attention to the effects of climate change in Africa, according to the BBC. Prior to the conference, African leaders have also called for greater funding from Western countries for climate change adaptation projects, Reuters reports.

When questioned about the leaders' demands, Rutte acknowledged that financial support was essential for both sustainable development and the energy transition in Africa. "And the Netherlands is prepared to contribute to this," the prime minister said.

While the Netherlands does not "immediately agree on the amounts mentioned," Rutte added that he understands why African leaders are asking for the support.

"But all in all, this is an issue that we naturally have to solve in the world and also as a Western world," Rutte said. "So it is also important that Europe itself can act as unitedly as possible in Egypt."