Erik Solheim is a well-known global leader in the field of environment and development. He served as Norway’s Minister for the Environment and International Development from 2005 to 2012. During his tenure, he launched the global rainforest conservation program and introduced groundbreaking national legislation, including the Biodiversity Act and legislation to protect the forests of the city of Oslo. He also increased Norwegian development aid to 1%, the highest rate in the world.
Solheim was Chairman of the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD (the main body of global donors) as well as Executive Director of UN Environment. He led peace efforts in Sri Lanka as the chief negotiator in the peace process and played a vital role in peace efforts in Nepal, Myanmar and Sudan. He is currently Senior Advisor at the World Resources Institute and Chairman of the Belt and Road Green Development Institute in Beijing. ApEX spoke to him about a range of issues related to the environment and climate change.
How do you assess current global efforts to limit global temperature rise to below 1.5°C?
Avoiding a temperature rise of more than 1.5°C is a huge challenge for humanity. We need to stick together as one family. For the first time, the world is moving in the right direction. China is the world leader in almost all green technologies, the EU has embarked on the Green New Deal, US President Biden has made the most environmentally friendly budget proposal in the country’s history and Indian Prime Minister Modi is investing heavily in solar and green hydrogen energy. The train has started to roll, but we need to speed up and increase the urgency.
Developing countries are intensifying the use of fossil fuels. What are the voluntary ways to reduce their use?
Many developing countries are fortunately moving away from the old model of development. They understand that we now have win-win opportunities. Solar is cheaper than coal all over the world, so switching to solar is good for both the ecology and the economy. China produces 80% of all solar panels in the world; 99% of all electric buses operate on Chinese roads. India is home to the world’s first all-solar railway station in Assam and the all-solar airport in Kerala.
How do you assess the results of the COP26 summit for least developed countries like Nepal?
It was crazy when some western ministers and activists blamed developing countries for the climate crisis. Historically, Indian emissions account for four percent of US emissions per capita; Nepalese broadcasts, even less. The fuel of the green transition is no longer diplomacy, but political economy. Renewable energy, electric mobility, tree planting, circular economy and zero-emission agriculture are now available for developing countries. Thus, Nepal can focus on the opportunities rather than the problems.
What do you think of the persistent reports of rapidly melting Himalayan glaciers?
Melting ice in the Himalayan glaciers is the scariest possible result of the climate crisis. If the great rivers of Asia, the Ganges, Indus, Mekong, Yangtze and many others dry up, it will be a disaster for hundreds of millions of people.
Developed countries had pledged to channel $100 billion a year to less wealthy countries by 2020 to help them adapt to climate change and mitigate further temperature rises. This promise has been broken. Can we trust them to keep any of their promises now?
They can and should. But in the end it is little money. It is much more important for poor countries that the United States, China and others recover their national economies. So going green becomes affordable for everyone. Nepal will be able to fund its own green development. The People’s Bank of China announced a national low-carbon facility of about $1 trillion. It’s huge and very promising. The Belt and Road Initiative will enable Nepal to benefit from Chinese green investments.
What are your suggestions to the Nepalese government on climate change?
Please see the opportunities! Nepal is rich in water resources and can be a hydroelectric superpower. My nation, Norway, can help him in this regard. Nepal has sunshine to power solar power plants. Two, three and four wheels can go electric. Agriculture in the Tarai can be inspired by Andhra Pradesh and Sikkim in India which pioneered zero-budget natural agriculture. Nepal is a fantastic tourist destination, the best in the world. There are enormous promises in green tourism.
How do you rate the performance of the Nepalese government in international climate forums?
Nepal can step in and take more of a leadership role. Nepal is a nation with a number of friends and no enemies. It can help lead the world towards the green revolution through national and global initiatives.
The snow on the mountains of Nepal is melting at an alarming rate, but the world seems to ignore it. What can Nepal do to attract the attention of the world?
I suggest inviting world leaders on study tours to observe with their own eyes.
How do you suggest that Annapurna Media Network should pursue its new Unity for Sustainability campaign? How can we collaborate with international organizations?
AMN’s huge network and high reputation provides a great opportunity to engage the people of Nepal in a dialogue on climate issues. Please never be boring, academic or exclusive! We cannot bore or scare people into action. Please bring people on board in a positive campaign for change. We have a triple win opportunity ahead of us. We can design policies for Nepal that are good for people’s well-being, economic growth and employment while taking better care of nature in this most beautiful place of Nepal.
As our campaign’s green ambassador, any specific message to Nepal and Nepalese politicians on climate change?
Please focus on the positive. How farming in Tarai can give farmers better returns by going green. How Nepal’s valleys can be hubs for hydroelectric and solar energy. How the Himalayas can attract more tourists, but with less impact on vulnerable nature. I am so excited to be part of this campaign.
