Erik Solheim

Erik Solheim is a well-known global leader on environment and development as well as an experienced peace negotiator.
He served as Norwegian minister of Environment and International Development from 2005-2012. During that period, he initiated the global program for conservation of rainforests and brought through game changing national legislation – among them the Biodiversity Act and legislation to protect Oslo city forests. He brought Norwegian development assistance to 1%, the highest in the world. He led the peace efforts in Sri Lanka from 1999-2009 as the main negotiator of the peace process and played a vital role in peace processes in Nepal, Myanmar and Sudan.

Erik was the Executive Chair of the OECD Development Assistance Committee (the main body of world donors) from 2012-2016 and Executive Director of UN Environment from 2016 to 2018. Currently he is Vice President of the Belt and Road Green Development Coalition in Beijing. Erik is international environment adviser to Ranil Wickremesinghe, the President of Sri Lanka and member of the Climate Council of Chief Minister MK Stalin in Tamil Nadu, India.

Erik is chairman of the development roundtable in Green Hydrogen Organization, adviser to Global Wind Energy Council and board member of International Hydropower Association.

In business Erik is adviser to RGE of Indonesia, the world largest paper and pulp company. He is cochair of Treelion a green blockchain company in Hong Kong and adviser to Carbon Neutral Royalty, a London based carbon credit provider. Erik advises Morrow, a Norwegian electric battery company.

Erik is Vicechair of Europe -Asia center in Brussels, Chief Mentor of Global Alliance for Sustainable Planet, Chairman of the Board of Afroz Shah Foundation in Mumbai, mentor for the Zero Plastic Movement in Sri Lanka and mentor to the Smart Campuis Clid Network in Pune, India. He is vice chair of International Finance Forum in Nansha, China. He is on the advisory board of Global Carbon Council in Doha. Erik is vicechair of Peking University Institute of Carbon Neutrality.

Erik is honorary professor at Tsinghua University (Beijing), Jiaotong University (Shanghai), Chengdu University and Southeast University (Nanjing). He is also honorary professor at the Kalinga Insitute in Bhubuneswar, India and environment adviser to Sri Sri University in Bhubuneswar. He received a honorary professor appointment from Teri University (Delhi).