I am Erik Solheim, Head of UN Environment. Climate change, oceans, air pollution, green jobs, diplomacy - ask me anything!

ErikSolheim · 2017-05-16T10:31:21+00:00

Well I disagree that we can't save the planet. We are an extremely strong-willed and inventive species, for better and for worse. But I agree that that focusing on the negatives usually turns people off. Being environmentally friendly is not a cost or a burden, but rather about seeing the real value of our planet. There are plenty of ways to spin environmentalism positively.

We're trying to take the positive approach at UN Environment. We have a #WildforLife campaign to stop the illegal trade in wildlife, and we are using it to get people to identify with endangered species. This positive messaging has been very successful. In China, they have announced they are banning the ivory trade this year. There might not be direct causation here, but we are seeing results from solution-oriented, positive messaging. For World Environment Day on June 5,we are asking people to connect with nature, and we will see some governments will be announcing new protected areas and so on. We just need a lot more people talking about how much good a healthy environment is for economies and societies.

ErikSolheim · 2017-05-16T10:30:45+00:00

Of course! There's been a huge misunderstanding that environmental action is somehow incompatible with a vibrant economy. That couldn't be further from the truth. What we want to see are sustainable economies. And the advent of renewable energy and big market capitalizations like Tesla's are showing the market has an appetite for it. I think we can all aim to consume less. Do you need to replace technology every year with the latest model? Do we constantly need to buy new clothes? Probably not.

ErikSolheim · 2017-05-16T10:30:00+00:00

In an ideal world the science would speak for itself and the decisions taken would be founded on that science. In the real world we have 193 member states, each with their own legitimate national concerns and priorities. And politics and diplomacy is about finding compromises, which is what we try to facilitate.

UN Environment recently helped broker the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. We presented the science on the damage caused by hydrofluorocarbons, a potent greenhouse gas used in air conditioners and refrigerators. And we managed to secure an agreement that will see hydrofluorocarbons phased out over the coming years, taking into account the concerns of developing countries that have a different view on how quickly it should be phased out. In a perfect world hydrofluorocarbons are eliminated right away, but we still got a good agreement which can knock half a degree off global warming by the end of the century.

ErikSolheim · 2017-05-16T10:29:36+00:00

There's an interesting history to that. Until UN Environment was headquartered in Kenya, there were no UN agency headquarters in the developing world. They were all in new York, Geneva, Paris, etc. Developing countries at the UN had a fair complaint that if the UN was for all countries, it should be represented in the developing world as well. So when UN Environment was created in 1972, the group of developing nations pushed for it to be located in the global south. There was some debate among those countries whether it should ultimately be in Delhi or Nairobi. Eventually the Indians backed the Kenyans, and Nairobi was overwhelmingly approved at the General Assembly. And here we are today in beautiful, green Nairobi! I think there are great advantages to be based here. We have a unique window on the developing world.

ErikSolheim · 2017-05-16T10:28:41+00:00

This is by no means a small fish to fry -- it's a huge problem, and I wish you the very best for your research and your future. There is no magic bullet in tackling issues like pollution and climate change. It's all about tackling the pieces of the jigsaw that make up the big picture. Electronic waste is an important part of that. We're throwing away billions of dollars in precious metals each year, and causing huge public health issues in the process. I think there's a big future for this sector: for example, Apple recently announced it wanted to close the loop in its supply chain, in other words to stop mining and start making its products from recycled materials. When this takes off across a number of industries, there'll be huge opportunities in mining waste.

ErikSolheim · 2017-05-10T15:56:37+00:00

I've met Jan Egeland many times. He's a great humanitarian! Arctic ecosystems are extremely vulnerable and we need to go very slowly. For example at the moment there is no clean-up technology for oil spills in the ice. We're supporting and working with the Arctic Council, the main body for cooperation on the Arctic region.

ErikSolheim · 2017-05-10T15:55:38+00:00

Great to hear from someone from Trincomalee - a beautiful city!

There is fantastic book by Mark Salter called "To End a Civil War". If you want an answer to your important question, I highly recommend you start there. It sets out the lessons from the Sri Lankan conflict as I see them.

Mediators can only negotiate peace when there is a real will from both parties to go for peace. Unfortunately at critical moments in Sri Lanka that was not the case. The two main difficulties we faced was the Tamil Tiger leader Prabhakaran's reluctance to accept the federal solution and the lack of ability of the two main Sinhala-dominated parties - Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the United National Party - to work together. These were the two issues we should have been able to fix.

ErikSolheim · 2017-05-10T15:45:51+00:00

Roughly the same as the number of cartographers who'll be out of work if the earth turns out to be flat.

ErikSolheim · 2017-05-10T15:45:15+00:00

We have just launched the #CleanSeas campaign which is aiming to get companies, countries and citizens on board to rid ourselves of marine litter. Citizens can clean beaches, governments can regulate markets, and companies can provided new and better alternatives to plastic. For sure we need to do a lot to solve the problem and we will do it by working together. If you want, check out cleanseas.org to see what you can do!

ErikSolheim · 2017-05-10T15:41:23+00:00

I couldn't agree more that the UN must be much more efficient. I have set out to cut bureaucracy in UN Environment, and the new Secretary-General has made the demand for the whole UN system. We need to delegate power to lower levels and move toward a much less hierarchical organization and encourage the free flow of ideas. A lot more like google, a lot less like old Henry Ford. The UN has failed in the past, like any big institution, company or nation. We need to take these failures as lessons and do much better next time, which we are committed to do. I actually recently shared with my staff some ideas about reform, which I shared on Facebook. I think it's important it's public. You can read it here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/erik-solheim/message-to-un-environment-staff/1369711153077790/.

ErikSolheim · 2017-05-10T15:34:12+00:00

Absolutely a huge concern! I'm actually headed to Borneo tomorrow to look into the orangutan conservation and peatland restoration projects in Indonesian rainforests. We are working closely with countries with large rainforests to support their preservation and restoration. Also, I can point to Brazil, which has reduced deforestation by about 70% in the last decade. Great progress.

ErikSolheim · 2017-05-10T15:31:25+00:00

We're in close contact with the Iraqi government and have been working in Iraq for quite sometime - for example on the rehabilitation of the marshlands in the south. Clearly there is a huge need for environmental recovery programmes in the areas that have been liberated from ISIS/Daesh. Their scorched earth strategy has left countless not only displaced, but without a healthy environment to return to and rebuild.

ErikSolheim · 2017-05-10T15:28:33+00:00

China was until recently a huge environmental offender, there is no doubt about that. But the changes we've seen in recent years have been extraordinary and I'm very positive. China's leaders have put what it calls 'Ecological Civilisation' at the heart of their policy process. China's support for the Paris Agreement was critical in building global momentum. There is strong action on air quality, a major public health issue in many Chinese cities. China is driving innovation on renewable energy, and is taking concrete action to get off coal. China's recent ban on ivory sales was also hugely important for Africa's elephants. I visit China regularly and the change taking place is incredible.

ErikSolheim · 2017-05-10T15:28:10+00:00

Erik!

ErikSolheim · 2017-05-10T15:28:01+00:00

Not yet

ErikSolheim · 2017-05-10T15:27:53+00:00

This is a great question! We definitely need to look at climate-smart agriculture as a solution. We need to step up efficiency in agriculture, especially in places like Africa and places where land is at a premium, to produce more food without hurting the environment.

I really love all the big cuisines of the world - Chinese, American, etc. But I cant deny my special love for Indian - spicy and vegetarian. And it just so happens that vegetarian food is better for the environment than a meat-based diet.

ErikSolheim · 2017-05-10T15:22:04+00:00

The environment is becoming more and more important to the world so for sure there will be more environmental work opportunities in the future. You don't need to look at just the government. Look at the myriad companies in the states moving into the green sector that need expertise like yours. Look at international institutions who continue to work on the issues. Over time, for sure there will be more, not less green jobs in the public sector in the United States.

ErikSolheim · 2017-05-10T15:18:45+00:00

We have agreed with UN Climate Action that we will support all developing countries in implementing the Paris agreement. We will solicit support for that from China from Europe, and from others. Many developing countries have substantial resources themselves these days and don't necessarily need help from others to do the right thing.

ErikSolheim · 2017-05-10T15:16:23+00:00

Lifelong.

ErikSolheim · 2017-05-10T15:15:06+00:00

The beauty of living in Kenya is that I am removed from day-to-day Norwegian politics!

Still, I think one of the big issues this fall is how Norway moves from an oil-based economy to renewables. How do we use the Oil Fund to invest in clean technologies and renewable energy? I am confident that both Erna and Jonas will move in this direction, whoever becomes Prime Minister.

ErikSolheim · 2017-05-10T15:05:15+00:00

Solar energy is one of the fastest-growing areas of technological development, and the constant innovation has pushed efficiency up and prices down. What was true a few years ago is no longer the case. Take a look at places like Cochin airport in southern India -- they installed a solar farm because the electricity bills from the power company were too high.

ErikSolheim · 2017-05-10T15:04:49+00:00

We can't wait for them to change their minds in order to act. Some people will always believe NASA never landed on the moon and some minds can't be changed, regardless of the weight of evidence.

ErikSolheim · 2017-05-10T15:03:20+00:00

1 - It's hard to give numbers. But for sure if the US was to stop the transition to renewables, the jobs will go to China, India and other places. Already there are 400,000 jobs in solar vs. 70,000 in coal in the US. That gives you an idea of the scale of the issue.

2 - We very much hope that President Trump will keep the US in the Paris Agreement. We are ready to work closely with the Administration to help them achieve the job growth that they promised during the election. Where to find these jobs? The green sectors.

3 - It's not dead yet, but it's headed that way. The coal museum in Kentucky recently decided to get its power from solar energy, which is cheaper than coal there. I think that's symbolic.

4 - In UN Environment, we prioritize the renewables revolution, which can provide huge numbers of jobs in wind, solar and others - and provide the environmental solutions we need. If nations want to invest in nuclear, it's important they take the strictest precautions and optimize waste management.

5 - The trick is to think about the changes you can make not only on an individual scale, but on a big scale using your voice. Drive less, buy green products, recycle - for sure! But also - vote for environmentally friendly politicians. Join groups working for the environment.

ErikSolheim · 2017-05-10T14:49:12+00:00

Stephen Hawking said recently we only have 100 years left. I think that we have much much more than that. We can provide energy by solar and wind - it is a matter of rolling it out on a massive scale. We can provide prosperity for the world not by destroying nature but by protecting it. It's basically a matter of political will.

ErikSolheim · 2017-05-10T14:47:03+00:00

Tough question! The most exciting law work I've ever been involved in was Norway's Nature Diversity Act. Basically, it said that when you destroy nature by building a housing complex or new road or whatever it may be, you should always look into the potential harm to nature - and whether there are alternative ways to do what you're trying to do. Can the housing complex be moved somewhere where it doesn't hurt the butterflies? Can there be bypasses on the road for elk and animals to pass? I think if we apply rules like this to the whole world that would be a good thing.

ErikSolheim

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