00:00 He's been the face of Dutch foreign policy and at the forefront of the Netherlands'
00:04 efforts to provide support to Ukraine.
00:07 But Werpke Hoekstra could soon see his profile raised with him in the running as the next
00:12 EU Commissioner for Climate Action.
00:14 "He has experience in finance and foreign affairs, so after the discussions, this nomination
00:20 is sensible for that."
00:22 While Hoekstra may have the right diplomatic credentials, his previous work experience
00:27 at oil giant Shell has raised eyebrows at home and in Brussels.
00:32 With the upcoming COP28 meeting set to take place in Dubai in three months' time, Hoekstra
00:37 says he's got what it takes to represent the European Union.
00:42 "A major climate summit is on the horizon, and that will require a lot of diplomacy,
00:47 international diplomacy.
00:49 And I think it's a huge privilege to be able to contribute to that."
00:54 The 47-year-old Christian Democrat comes from the same conservative European group as Commission
01:00 President Ursula von der Leyen.
01:02 If Hoekstra does succeed in securing the role, he'll need to outline Europe's climate ambitions
01:07 for 2040 early next year.
01:10 [BLANK_AUDIO]
