An interview with Erik Solheim, former Executive Director of UN Environment, on Climate Optimism
Environmental news is often negative news. Ask anyone what's the first thing that comes to mind when you mention the environment or climate change, and you will most likely get replies about forest fires, sea-level rise, fiercer storms, or devastating floods.
It was refreshing to speak with Erik Solheim, a global leader on environment, development, and peace. As a former Norwegian Minister of International Development and Minister of the Environment, he is fully aware of these and future impacts that the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and pollution will have on the environment and people's lives. Yet, he is optimistic about the opportunities of the transition.
Opportunities of transition
Throughout the interview, the former UN Environment chief speaks passionately about the fantastic opportunities of green hydrogen, battery development, offshore floating wind turbines, solar roofs, and other green innovations. Many will create jobs: far more than there are presently in the fossil fuel industry. But the focus on climate change's doom and gloom makes people lose focus on the enormous opportunities of the transition towards a new economy.
Erik referred to Martin Luther King, Jr, who inspired the world with "I have a dream." Of course, he had good reasons to say, "we live in a nightmare," but he chose the message of hope.
You can listen to the full interview on the Callin.com website by clicking here.
Twelve quotes
But for those that prefer to read, these are twelve takes that I would like to share with you, but there is much more in the complete interview. I only slightly adapted some quotes for readability; the full text is on the podcast.
On the linkage between the environment, development, and peace:
"In a peaceful world, where the major powers of the world, particularly the United States and China, are working closely together, there is no limit to what we can achieve, neither on development nor on the environment."
On cooperation:
"Together is maybe the most important word in the world because if we don't work together, we will fail. However, if we join hands, we can solve all major problems facing humanity in the 21st century. There is an old saying from the Indian Vedas; it says the whole world is one family. That we should take as our starting point: the whole world is one family."
On the Norwegian elections:
"For the first time in the history of our nation, the environment was at the top of the political agenda" [but the green parties lost because of] "two big mistakes: being negative rather than positive, being exclusive rather than inclusive."
On acceleration of the transformation:
"I believe that there have been more changes in the last two years than there were in the decades before that. Lenin, the Russian leader, once said that there are decades where nothing is happening. And then, all of a sudden, there are years where decades are happening. And I think the corona time was such a period where decades were happening; we see huge investments and transformation, and exponential growth in so many of the good practices."
On our love for nature and optimism:
"We as environmentalists should mainly speak about our love for nature, the miracle which is nature, and the beauty of this very vulnerable planet. And we should speak about the enormous benefits for people's lives: you can move into the green economy, there'll be more and better jobs, there will be better prosperity, we have the ability to share that prosperity globally, and of course, you will have better health, less pollution, and better lives. So let's focus on the positives. And while being, of course, absolutely aware of the problems."
On fair transition:
"We need governments to invest in regional schemes for empowerment, for employment, and for benefits for those regions [where the economy was based on fossil fuel industry]. And we need training schemes for people so that they can be trained for the new economy."
On the risks of ignoring the fairness aspect:
"So governments absolutely need to be very much focused on the fair transition. Otherwise, you will mobilize too much opposition; people voting for parties who don't want climate action, or they're using lobbying or other ways to stop the needed transformation in societies."
On transition costs:
"We need to stop speaking as if acting on climate change is a cost. It's an opportunity for better jobs, and it's an enormous opportunity to save money."
On framing climate change:
"Speaking as if acting on climate is a cost is as stupid as speaking like an internet is a cost."
Erik Solheim is also President of the Green Belt and Road Institute, and throughout the interview, he often refers to positive developments taking place in China. Unfortunately, I don't have the space to quote all of them here, so I encourage you to listen to the full interview, but I will end this summary with some quotes on developments in China.
On Chinese transition:
"Last year, half of all solar industry in the world was in China, China is producing 80% of all solar panels sold in the world. Half of all wind energy in the world comes from China. It's the biggest in green hydrogen. Since the Olympics in 2008, China has rolled out 40,000 kilometers of high-speed green rail; in the same period, the United States has produced exactly zero. And 99% of all electric buses on planet Earth are running on Chinese roads."
The West risking to become the losers:
"If the West doesn't really match China on all these green technologies, we will be the losers. China will simply take all the markets. If we come to compete in the green technological revolution of the 21st century, the West needs to be as good as China, produce as cheap as China, and as much green infrastructure as China."
China and India on environment
"I would simply wish that Western leaders were talking as much about the environment as President Xi of China, or for that matter as Prime Minister Modi of India, which is another nation which also does a lot which is not recognized by the West."
You can listen to the full interview on the Callin.com website by clicking here.
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"Being negative rather than positive, being exclusive rather than inclusive" wow, that is so very true and powerfully worded. It really is so easy to fall into negativity and despair, to think of what makes us different versus what makes us alike. This one little phrase has given me a lot to think about! Thank you, Alexander, for breaking this down into easy to read quotes.
Fascinating, inspiring and encouraging interview. It’s so true that more can be accomplished with a positive attitude and working together. We do live in a relatively small, very interconnected world.