Erik Solheim

Former Minister of Climate and the Environment of Norway, Former Executive Director of UN Environmen
Norway

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. Before joining government, he was leader of 
the Socialist Left Party 1987-97 as well as member of Norwegian Parliament 1989-2001.

He led the peace efforts in Sri Lanka from 1999-2009 as the main negotiator of the peace process between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers and played a vital role in peace processes in Nepal, Myanmar, Sudan and Burundi.


Erik was the Executive Chair of the OECD Development Assistance Committee (the main body of world donors) from 2012-2016 and Undersecretary General of the UN and Executive Director of UN 
Environment from 2016 to 2018.


Currently he is President of Europe - Asia Center in Brussels.

He is International Vice President of the Belt and Road Green Development Coalition in Beijing and member of China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development.

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 also adviser to Key Carbon, a London based carbon credit provider. Erik works closely, on a non-profit basis, with ProClime, a climate company in Chennai, India.

Erik is Ambassador for the Center of Oneness in Omkareshwar India, celebrating the Hindu reformer and Saint Adi Shankaracharya

He is 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 Cloud Network in Pune, India.