Erik Solheim is a 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 legislations-among them the Biodiversity Act and legislation to protect Oslo city forests. He brought Norwegian development assistance to 1%, the highest in the world.
Erik was the Executive Chair of the OECD Development Assistance Committee from 2012-2016 and Executive Director of UN Environment from 2016 to 2018. Currently he is senior adviser at World Resources Institute and President of the Belt and Road Green Development Institute in Beijing. He is also Chief Mentor of Global Alliance for Sustainable Planet and Chairman of the Board of Afroz Shah Foundation in Mumbai. He is adviser to April, the world’s largest paper and pulp company in Indonesia, to Aker Horizons, Norway’s leading green industry corporation and to Norwegian electric battery company Morrow. He serves as chairman of the development roundtable in Green Hydrogen Organization and as a board member of International Hydropower Association.