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ERIK Τhe Norwegian veteran diplomat in a UNEP initiative.
SOLHEIM Ο Νορβηγός βετεράνος διπλωμάτης σε μια δράση στο
πλαίσιο τoυ UNEP.
Visionary & international leader
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
OF UN ENVIRONMENTAL
PROGRAM TALKS TO
2BOARD.
O ΕΠΙΚΕΦΑΛΗΣ ΤΟΥ
ΠΡΟΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΟΣ
ΠΕΡΙΒΑΛΛΟΝΤΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΟΗΕ
MIΛΑΕΙ ΣΤΟ 2BOARD.
What your experience as a peace negotiator WE'RE NOT FAR AWAY FROM DOING
taught you? IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE TO OUR OCEANS
Above all, patience and compromise. AND OUR CLIMATE, SO WE NEED TO MOVE
Patience because if something was so simple FA S T. T H E C L O C K I S T I C K I N G !
that it could be fixed quickly, then there
COURTESY OF UNEP ON FLICKR would be no need for a mediator! You need meaningful way. It also means presenting prove them wrong!
to look for areas of agreement and possible solutions to the problems. For example, it’s What can we do as ordinary people in our life
compromise, celebrate the small victories not enough to just talk about the dangers of to protect the environment?
and keep the process moving in the right climate change. Instead we can help cities The most important thing for people to
direction. This also applies to our work on deal with clean transport solutions or better understand is that they have a common
the environment. There’s no instant fix, but buildings, and show the health and financial interest in protecting the future of our planet
rather a need to build consensus and solve a benefits of doing so. That is translated into and, as consumers or voters, they have
puzzle that when pieced together will deliver positive changes for people, and positive enormous power. I’d encourage everyone to
progress and then a positive result. action on climate change. look at the work of Indian lawyer and UN
What is your vision for UNEP? How can we provide prosperity in the world Environment Champion of the Earth Afroz
We have to be true to our mandate. That especially when the inequality issue keeps Shah. He was shocked by the plastic waste
means being a global authority on the going stronger and stronger? washing up on the beach outside his home
environment, getting the science across and We’ve long been advocating for a shift to a in Mumbai, so along with his neighbours
helping governments make informed policy green economy. That needs to become the started up a beach clean-up every weekend.
decisions. We also need to be on the frontline new normal way of doing business. A green He’s now famous across India, and is
of change – be that in helping reconstruct economy is a more circular economy, where influencing other people to take action.
Iraq or helping European cities deal with air we reduce and eradicate waste. It’s powered It’s easy to blame others for environmental
pollution. We have to show we are making a by renewable energy that is more accessible damage, but we also need to look at what we
concrete difference to peoples’ lives. to more people. So the answer is a more can do in our own lives.
"We need to work hard to set out the case, sustainable and more inclusive economic Do you think that consumerism and a much
change the language. Often the UN is model. more greener way of life can go hand by hand?
bureaucratic and does not speak to the hearts How climate change deniers can be convinced The answer of course is how we consume
of people", you once mentioned. What UNEP it is real? and what we consume! Certainly, the current
do towards this direction? I think that we have to accept that not trend of consumption is not sustainable.
I fully share the view of US President Donald everybody can be convinced. Some people This year, we reach Earth Overshoot Day –
Trump when he says the UN needs to "focus just don’t get it. Other people with special the point of the year when we’ve consumed
more on people and less on bureaucracy." For interests just don’t want to get it. But I’m more than the earth can regenerate -- in early
UN Environment, it means communicating confident that they are in a minority. We have August. If the Earth was a bank account, we’d
the science to people in a clear and a responsibility to act on climate change now. be overdrawn!
We simply cannot afford to wait around to
"We have to show we are making a concrete difference CONTINUED ON PAGE 192
to people's lives", notes Erik Solheim, former Minister of
Environment and International Development in Norway.
«Πρέπει να δείξουμε ότι δημιουργούμε ευδιάκριτες
αλλαγές στις ζωές των ανθρώπων» σημειώνει ο Erik
Solheim, πρώην Υπουργός Περιβάλλοντος και Διεθνούς
Ανάπτυξης της Νορβηγίας.
133
SOLHEIM Ο Νορβηγός βετεράνος διπλωμάτης σε μια δράση στο
πλαίσιο τoυ UNEP.
Visionary & international leader
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
OF UN ENVIRONMENTAL
PROGRAM TALKS TO
2BOARD.
O ΕΠΙΚΕΦΑΛΗΣ ΤΟΥ
ΠΡΟΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΟΣ
ΠΕΡΙΒΑΛΛΟΝΤΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΟΗΕ
MIΛΑΕΙ ΣΤΟ 2BOARD.
What your experience as a peace negotiator WE'RE NOT FAR AWAY FROM DOING
taught you? IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE TO OUR OCEANS
Above all, patience and compromise. AND OUR CLIMATE, SO WE NEED TO MOVE
Patience because if something was so simple FA S T. T H E C L O C K I S T I C K I N G !
that it could be fixed quickly, then there
COURTESY OF UNEP ON FLICKR would be no need for a mediator! You need meaningful way. It also means presenting prove them wrong!
to look for areas of agreement and possible solutions to the problems. For example, it’s What can we do as ordinary people in our life
compromise, celebrate the small victories not enough to just talk about the dangers of to protect the environment?
and keep the process moving in the right climate change. Instead we can help cities The most important thing for people to
direction. This also applies to our work on deal with clean transport solutions or better understand is that they have a common
the environment. There’s no instant fix, but buildings, and show the health and financial interest in protecting the future of our planet
rather a need to build consensus and solve a benefits of doing so. That is translated into and, as consumers or voters, they have
puzzle that when pieced together will deliver positive changes for people, and positive enormous power. I’d encourage everyone to
progress and then a positive result. action on climate change. look at the work of Indian lawyer and UN
What is your vision for UNEP? How can we provide prosperity in the world Environment Champion of the Earth Afroz
We have to be true to our mandate. That especially when the inequality issue keeps Shah. He was shocked by the plastic waste
means being a global authority on the going stronger and stronger? washing up on the beach outside his home
environment, getting the science across and We’ve long been advocating for a shift to a in Mumbai, so along with his neighbours
helping governments make informed policy green economy. That needs to become the started up a beach clean-up every weekend.
decisions. We also need to be on the frontline new normal way of doing business. A green He’s now famous across India, and is
of change – be that in helping reconstruct economy is a more circular economy, where influencing other people to take action.
Iraq or helping European cities deal with air we reduce and eradicate waste. It’s powered It’s easy to blame others for environmental
pollution. We have to show we are making a by renewable energy that is more accessible damage, but we also need to look at what we
concrete difference to peoples’ lives. to more people. So the answer is a more can do in our own lives.
"We need to work hard to set out the case, sustainable and more inclusive economic Do you think that consumerism and a much
change the language. Often the UN is model. more greener way of life can go hand by hand?
bureaucratic and does not speak to the hearts How climate change deniers can be convinced The answer of course is how we consume
of people", you once mentioned. What UNEP it is real? and what we consume! Certainly, the current
do towards this direction? I think that we have to accept that not trend of consumption is not sustainable.
I fully share the view of US President Donald everybody can be convinced. Some people This year, we reach Earth Overshoot Day –
Trump when he says the UN needs to "focus just don’t get it. Other people with special the point of the year when we’ve consumed
more on people and less on bureaucracy." For interests just don’t want to get it. But I’m more than the earth can regenerate -- in early
UN Environment, it means communicating confident that they are in a minority. We have August. If the Earth was a bank account, we’d
the science to people in a clear and a responsibility to act on climate change now. be overdrawn!
We simply cannot afford to wait around to
"We have to show we are making a concrete difference CONTINUED ON PAGE 192
to people's lives", notes Erik Solheim, former Minister of
Environment and International Development in Norway.
«Πρέπει να δείξουμε ότι δημιουργούμε ευδιάκριτες
αλλαγές στις ζωές των ανθρώπων» σημειώνει ο Erik
Solheim, πρώην Υπουργός Περιβάλλοντος και Διεθνούς
Ανάπτυξης της Νορβηγίας.
133
