Erik Solheim, former UN Under Secretary General and President of the Green Belt and Road Institute, has noticed a significant power shift in global climate action over the past decade. Drawing from an extensive career dedicated to environmental protection, he is examining the emergence of a new landscape in environmental geopolitics, with China rising as a global green leader. In an exclusive interview with Beijing Review reporters Peng Jiawei and Li Xiaoyang, Solheim shared his views on China’s changing development strategies, as well as its evolving role in global environmental governance. Edited excerpts from Solheim’s remarks follow:
From speed to sustainability
It may be very difficult for young Chinese to imagine. But back in 1984, when I visited China for the first time, there were no skyscrapers, few private cars and only one metro line in China’s mainland.
It was a time when China was still in the early stage of reform and opening up and actively explored its own path toward modernization. The entire focus was on economic development and creating a huge
