Erik Solheim

Watch Jon Ossoff taking down the lies and inconsistencies of the US war in Iran. Never raising his voice - just demanding answers to proper questions.

The people of Pakistan 🇵🇰 made solar revolution - not a dime from the government or Global Finance institutions. The huge surge in solar energy in Pakistan is truly inspiring to the world! At the climate talks in Antalya Dr. Musadik Masood Malik, Minister for Climate Change, explained how it happened. During the horrible floods in 2022 roof tops were platforms for rescue. Then some people saw an opportunity. They sold their buffalos and bought solar panels. It paid off. Soon thousands followed. Then millions. There was some policy support from the government, but no financial support. International finance institutions didn’t give a penny. The grid was unstable, so solar was the cheapest option. Green is gold! Now new solar energy is nearly as much as the entire old grid in Pakistan. It’s such an inspiring example of people’s power! More info: lnkd.in/e7Y3q5uj

Global Rooftop Solar Declaration adopted at UN Climate Conference! I was privileged to speak when a cross-continental coalition including Bangladesh, Kenya, Nigeria, Palau and Vanuatu today at Cop 31 Antalya endorsed the Global Rooftop Solar declaration.  Dr Musadik Masood Malik, Minister for Climate Change, Pakistan, also joined. Australia is an early mover. The endorsements demonstrate that the countries are embracing rooftop and distributed solar to boost energy security and economic growth. In addition to these governments, 34 individual members of Parliament across 21 countries have endorsed the Declaration. The Declaration has also been supported by organizations across the energy industry, with Indonesia’s state-operated electric power company PT PLN endorsing the Declaration today.  The Declaration underpins the 300 Million Solar Homes initiative, a global effort to double solar-powered households to 300 million by 2030. Rooftop solar serves many purposes. It’s provides the cheapest form of energy, it brings energy security and its reduces climate emissions. Trip win! lnkd.in/e-f6Gekq

On my way to climate talks: Can the World Turn Climate Commitments into Action? In this episode of The Prode I discuss the climate conference in Antalya, Türkiye 🇹🇷 starting today. We discuss the key priorities: Climate finance, climate justice, energy security, the transition away from fossil fuels, and the challenges facing developing countries. Climate talks are important - but action in politics and the markets matter more. What makes me optimistic is the surge in climate action in the Global South! Watch the full conversation: lnkd.in/eJpsgfij

Incredible India 🇮🇳! Hornbills are calling ! Somewhere in the Anamalai landscape in Tamil Nadu there is a precious stronghold for these iconic birds, whose future rests in the great old trees in the last remaining rainforests. Thanks @dhanu_paran and @supriyasahuias

🔥 Kimmel put together a montage of Trump’s TOP 10 broken promises. 😂 Surprise, surprise - American voters didn’t like this!

Climate talks starts in Türkiye 🇹🇷 this week. Here are four reasons for optimism. I am on my way to the climate conference in Antalya, starting Monday. Ministers, business leaders and activists from across the globe will meet to take climate action forward. Talks will be focused on energy - the Strait of Hormuz crisis makes every nation desperate to increase energy independence. That means a huge surge in renewables - solar, wind, hydro and more. The diplomatic negotiation will not bring major breakthroughs, but here are four big reasons for optimism. USA 🇺🇸 Midterm election makes it likely US will come back to the table in two years. And even under President Trump nearly all new electricity in America is clean. Of the 86 gigawatts developers plan to add this year, more than nine in ten are solar, batteries and wind. US walked out of climate talks twice. It cannot walk out of economics. But talks are stronger with America in them  - and chances are good for 2028. BRAZIL 🇧🇷 President Lula was reelected with comfortable margin in second round of the Brazilian election. His policies has brought a deep dive in deforestation. Amazon is the most important of all important ecosystems. With Lula at the helm Brazilian Amazon is safe for now. Such a relief for Mother Earth! INDIA 🇮🇳 India is becoming the world’s second largest solar market. It is building its own factories for modules and cells. India reached its goal of half its power capacity from clean sources in 2025. Last year, for the first time, emissions in India declined, even if economic growth was 7%. CHINA 🇨🇳 China is the indispensable nation for everything green. It hosts the largest national park system, it is the most successful tree planter and it just implemented the best ecological legislation. Last year China added more than 300 gigawatts of solar, more than any other nation has built in its entire history. It added around 120 gigawatts of wind, as much as the whole power grid of the United Kingdom, or of Türkiye, this year's host. Electric cars, batteries and solar panels stand at the centre of the Chinese economy and China is between 60 and 95 % of all green technologies.

Peace is good politics! The wonderful lesson from US midterm elections ❤️! It’s hard to underestimate the shift! This year peace was a vote winner in America. All previous US 🇺🇸 wars were hugely popular in the early days. The war with Iran is the first US war since 1945, probably ever, which isn’t supported from the start. The Tonkin resolution authorizing the massive deployment of US troops in Vietnam was carried by 416 - 0 in the House of Representatives. 70% of Americans supported the war in Korea in 1950. 93% were later in favor of the war in Afghanistan and 75% wanted the US to attack Iraq. Historically peace was bad politics in the US. There was votes to be won on being hawkish, not by looking weak. This is why US foreign policy for eighty years has been extremely aggressive - bloody wars, military coups abroad and regime change operations. Few political changes will contribute more to a safer planet than if peace becomes good politics in the US. How hopeful! If you want to understand more - this brilliant book about the Cold War shows that US domestic politics always was the main factor driving US aggressive impulses: lnkd.in/gZexMWf8

Jon Ossoff was just reelected as Senator of Georgia with an earthquake majority. He may also be a future President of the United States 🇺🇸! This is simply brilliant! Ossoff does NOT fuck around.

Is this the new President of America? Jon Osoff is the favorite now. Hardly any candidate did better in the midterm election than Jon Osoff, the young, handsome and extremely effective anti-Trump senator from Georgia. Until this year Georgia was a toss up. Remember how Trump tried to order the Governor to find a few thousands votes to steal the 2020 election? Now Osoff won Georgia in an earthquake. 59 - 41.  The Democratic field of candidates for 2028 is of course wide open. Osoff hasn’t even declared that he will run. But to the extent there is a front runner - it’s Osoff.  There are many important lessons from this election - for politics across the globe. * Peace is good politics. American voters sent an unmistakable message: Please stop that war! We may be a turning point in American history. Every other American war was popular in the early days. The Vietnam war won a 416 - 0 vote in the House. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq had huge support at the start.  It’s simply wonderful that voters are tired of wars. Israel, Russia, Europe - everyone should take note. * It’s the economy - stupid. No issue loomed larger than inflation. People may forgive corruption of leaders as long as they see progress in own life. But stagnation for voters and enrichment for the President is a toxic combination. * Identify candidates win, but not identity politics. The democrats got elected the first Muslim senator and the first openly gay. Many states elected their first Latino, black or female Governor. A senator in wheelchair won. But none of these ran on an identity policy platform. No woke! * Data centers have turned from asset to viability in record time. Artificial intelligence for the first time was an election issue. Expect a lot more of this. * The left - right divide is a thing of the past. Progressive candidates adopted moderate stands and moderate candidates ran on anti billionaire platforms and economic populism. The issue is no longer right or left, but policies which works a for ordinary people - economy, heath, education. * God is back - on the left. The monopoly of conservative Christianity is broken. Democratic candidates who exposed their faith had big success in Kansas, Texas and Mississippi. The “love your neighbors like Jesus Christ” idea  has returned.

US election was the most costly in history. But guess what - you cannot buy an election. The money spent on the US 🇺🇸 midterm election is mind boggling. $12 billion was used for adds and more. This amount is crazy. It is as much as the entire economy of middle sized nations like Somalia or Kosovo. But good news is - it hardly had any impact, Elon Musk alone spent up to $500 million. It seems the results were nil. ZERO! Elon spent $200 million to support the corrupt republican candidate in Texas, Ken Paxton. The money was used to buy aggressive attack adds on his Democratic challenger James Talarico. The people of Texas spoke. Talarico won in a landslide - 55 - 43. Talarico won 79% in Austin, 73% in El Paso, 72% in Dallas, 67% in San Antonio and 66% in Houston. Talarico also carried the Hispanic Rio Grande Valley with around 70%. It is course possible Talarico would have won even more if Elon had kept the dollars to himself? Possible - but not very likely? So lets celebrate the good news - its hard to buy an election. People are ready to think for themselves.

The world is breathing a sigh of relief: We have passed Peak Trump! ❤️ The Democrats won with a landslide. Even carrying Kansas, the incarnation of rural America, South Carolina the craddle of the civil war against America and conservative Texas. Incredibly Mississippi is not yet called.  It’s an enormous defeat for president Trump. It’s important to draw the right conclusions. Here are my main long term takeaways: * The American democracy is safe for now. Courts, media, states (now even including Texas and Ohio) will be emboldened and keep Trump in check. The Congress will come back to life. US is a shaky democracy, but it has survived. But look to India if you wish to see a big democracy on a solid footing. * Every other nation will act on the basis that we have passed Peak Trump. Those who stood up to Trump, China and Canada in particular, but also India, Brazil and others are vindicated. Every nation will now start acting out of self interests, calibrating its relations to the US. Europe´s shameless ass kissing will come to an end. * Prospects for national reconciliation in the US are slim. There is little to be gained for either party from reduced polarization. Democrats will soon start the process to elect a President candidate. It will be a competition of anti-Trumpism. * Winning in 2026 is not winning in 2028. The president election is as open as ever. Controlling the Congress means Democrats in 2028 will share the blame for the dysfunctional political system. A party which could came up with totally silly ideas like defunding the police or the right for transgender persons to compete in women’s sport, can continue self harm with un winnable policies or candidates. * Trump will be even more unpredictable. His main currency is attention. He is the most famous person who has ever lived, beating Jesus Christ by a mile. To continue to attract attention he may be tempted to crazy foreign policy actions.

This is simply incredible, CATL, the world’s largest battery maker, will reach 1 terrawatt this year! That is nearly as much power as the entire grid in the US. Or double the Indian grid or eight times the grid in the UK. CATL last year shipped 661 gigawatt of batteries. This year its expects to reach 1 terrawatt. CATL produces 39% of the world’s electric car batteries and 30% of batteries for energy storage. Hardly any company contributes more to the green transition than CATL. It was founded 25 years ago by Robin Zeng to create jobs for the people of his small hometown of Ningde in southern China. I visited the impressive headquarters a couple of years ago. But the giant eyes even higher. At a show in Shanghai last week Robin Zeng said that: “We are still not good enough”. We are for example not able to pack a big jet with batteries. Robin Zeng believes the next battery revolution will be powered by artificial intelligence: * AI accelerates material discovery - moving into sodium, solid state batteries and many new and exciting materials. * AI converts scientific knowledge into higher performing battery designs. * AI improves manufacturing - analyzes data and makes decisions in real time.

US 🇺🇸 midterms: Will the Democrats win big, very big or in a landslide? And what are the consequences?  The election Tuesday will bring a big Republican loss in US midterm elections. It will mark the start of the Trump decline. I say this with confidence as one of the extremely few Europeans who predicted that Trump would win in both 2016 and 2024. What’s the difference? Then Tump was the outsider, taking on the power. Now he is the power. Then Trump was up against extraordinary weak candidates - Hilary Clinton and Kamala Harris. Now he is up against himself. Now Republicans have nowhere to hide. They started the meaningless war in Iran. Everyone knows that.  They introduced the tariffs and brought inflation. Everyone knows that as well.  The issue is not who will win on Tuesday, but what comes next. Here are some predictions: * Trump will be lame duck. Particularly in domestic politics and particularly if Democrats win the Senate. He will struggle to get any decision implemented and will have to fend off investigations and inquiries on a daily basis, with no time for new initiatives. * All foreign leaders will think that we have passed the time of peak Trump. They will feel emboldened to stand up for their own interests with less need for constantly  kissing his ass. * Trump may go to extremes, particularly in international politics. He lives from daily attention which will be more difficult to get. In foreign policy he is still basically all powerful and can be tempted to extreme acts to show his relevance. * Nothing is decided for 2028. The ruling party in America lost big in 1994, 2010 and 2018 and came back strong in next president election. The Democratic Party has a very well established tradition for scoring own goals. It may elect the wrong candidate for president as they have done repeatedly. Don’t at all mistake a Republican loss in 2026 for a predictable loss in 2028. * Hardly anyone is voting for the Democrats because they trust that party. Tomorrow is a vote against Trump and Republicans. America is as polarized as ever. The election campaign has been marked with a number of all time lows. Enormous amounts of money is spent by Musk and other billionaries with little effect. Unless the US finds ways to restore some decency and trust in the democratic system, US historic decline will continue.

The metro revolution is well on its way in India 🇮🇳! India now runs the third largest metro network in the world. It spans 26 cities across India. The operation networks are at 1100 km, with 1000 more under construction. Kolkata started the first Indian metro. Delhi then went big. But now it happens all over the nation. India still has some way to go to match the world’s metro leader, China. The seven largest metro systems are all in China - Shanghai is at 901 km and Beijing 888. But India will soon pass the US and become the worlds second metro nation. Bravo India! This is much needed for smoother, safer and greener cities.

Great to join the 2026 Sustainability Global Leaders Conference in Shanghai by Sina. China’s 🇨🇳 journey tells us a vital truth: Green is gold! Its unique transformation from poverty to environment frontrunner cannot be replicated exactly. But the core lessons travel far: low-cost renewables, people-centred green development, pairing clean energy with conservation of nature, creating green jobs. @ESGGlobalLeader

Incredible India 🇮🇳 Doigurung River, Golaghat, Assam.

Global economics shifting south - Indian 🇮🇳 engineering giant wins big contract in Central Asia. Larsen & Toubro, or L&T for short, has secured a contract worth over $ 1, 6 billion to build the passenger terminal and supporting infrastructure for the New Tashkent International Airport in Uzbekistan 🇺🇿. The project is part of Uzbekistan's plan to develop a major international aviation hub connecting Asia, Europe and other regions. L&T will handle road infrastructure, structural construction, architectural finishes, utilities and the installation of advanced airport systems. Initial engineering has already begun. It’s wonderful to see a well reputed Indian company being globally competitive like this! And for a Scandinavian like me - exciting to know that the company was founded by two Danes 🇩🇰 - Larsen and Toubro - who settled in India after the financial crisis in Europe in the 1930s Thanks Rising India Updates!

Beautiful China 🇨🇳! Four seasons of Wulong Karst National park in Chongqing,

International Green Development Coalition for Belt and Road. Huge progress. New name. I was reelected Vice President. The China led Belt and Road Initiative is the worlds largest investment initiative.  Near all developing countries, bar india, are members. Massive investments have been made in rail corridors and in green energy infrastructure. After it was decided to phase out Chinese coal investments abroad, the background color of Belt and Road is green. The coalition met in Hong Kong for its second general assembly and for a big Belt and Road green innovation summit. The top leader of Hong Kong John KC Lee and Chinas Minister of Ecology and Environment spoke among leaders from across the world. It was decided to change name to International Green Development Coalition for Belt and Road. We elected a new board. I was privileged to be reelected Vice President. Belt and Road is critical to the implementation of the idea that Green is Gold - developing nations can go green and prosperous all the same!