Media Release by SAFN Washington, DC.
WASHINGTON, D.C., January 22, 2025 – The South Asia Foresight Network (SAFN) is delighted to announce that Erik Solheim, renowned diplomat, peace negotiator, and UN global environmental leader, has joined SAFN as a distinguished Senior Fellow. With decades of experience across South and Southeast Asia, including India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar, and Indonesia, Solheim brings unparalleled expertise and insight to the SAFN community.
Currently serving as the President of the Belt and Road Green Development Initiative in China, Solheim continues to play an instrumental role in shaping sustainable development initiatives worldwide.
“As a global leader with deep expertise in navigating complex socio-political environments, Erik Solheim’s association with SAFN will enhance our research capacity to address the pressing challenges of the South and Southeast Asian region,” said Asanga Abeyagoonasekera, Executive Director of SAFN. “We are honored to welcome him as a distinguished Senior Fellow of the SAFN Belt & Road Initiative Center”
SAFN, a regional network of the Millennium Project based in Washington, D.C., is a rapidly growing network dedicated to advancing multidimensional research in South and Southeast Asia. It brings together individuals, think tanks, and institutions committed to fostering foresight and innovation across the region
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.
He is Honorary President of the China – Norway International cooperation Center in Yantai, chair of Kubuqi Desert Forum in Inner Mongolia and member of the board of Guiyang Eco Forum, all in China.
He is vice chair of International Finance Forum in Nansha, China. Erik is vicechair of Peking University Institute of Carbon Neutrality. Erik is fellow at the International Centre for Sustainability in London, UK which specialize in Indian – European relations. He is on the advisory board of Global Carbon Council in Doha, Qatar. Erik is honorary professor at Tsinghua University (Beijing), Jiaotong University (Shanghai), Fudan University (Shanghai), Chengdu University, Southeast University (Nanjing) and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Guangzhou. He is also honorary professor at the Kalinga Institute in Bhubuneswar, India and environment adviser to Sri Sri University in Bhubuneswar. He received an honorary professor appointment from Teri University, Delhi.
For more information, please visit www.southasiaforesight.org
