‘Capitalism must become greener ' - Interview with Erik Solheim

(Unofficial translation of interview published by De Standaard on 13.09.2016 by Dominique Minten)

The industry has to save the world, says the new UN Environment chief Erik Solheim . "Ultimately that is where the money is."

The earth is warming at an ever faster pace. African elephants and gorillas are threatened with extinction. The world population is growing faster than expected. Cities like Beijing and Mexico City are becoming unlivable due to air pollution.

A quick selection of the environment news is enough to get gloomy about the state of the Earth. But Erik Solheim, the new head of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), does not do pessimism, he says.

Optimism is a moral duty for you.

(Laughs) "No. I just believe in the power of people to initiate a change together and take collective responsibility. If we really want something together, there is no limit to our decisiveness. Europeans suffer from excessive pessimism. They seem to think that we live at the most difficult moment in history. But that's really not so. We live longer, the chances of dying from violence have never been this small. We must bring more optimism to the debate. That can give us energy. "

So all is going well with the world.

" Well, we still let ourselves be divided too much: Europe against China, the US against Russia, the government against the private sector. And therefore it remains possible that every year seven million people die prematurely as a result of environmental pollution. And that tigers and polar bears are threatened with extinction. We must not be blind for that. But the pandas are doing much better. Is that not a good example [of the fact] that we can change things for the better if we really want."

But perhaps the political will is lacking.

"That really remains the key issue. Money and technology are available, but politicians let themselves be distracted too fast. Every day a new problem seems to pop up that suddenly demands all the energy. In Europe all is dominated at the moment by Brexit and the migration crisis, and [by the fact that] they then need to quickly find a solution. And then the long term is forgotten. "

And what can we do about it ?

"A lot. Citizens need to put pressure on politicians to think long- term. Remember, all great improvements in history have come about because citizens have taken the initiative: the abolition of slavery, the large human rights movements, women's suffrage ... "

"An example of another order, but no less important: the beaches of Mumbai are currently being cleaned. That action came about at the initiative of a few citizens. It is crucial that we support this kind of action. "

On climate change, we are trying to do something, but it does not seem to be working properly. Is the Paris Agreement no empty box?

"Absolutely not. The two largest polluters, and the two largest economies on Earth, the US and China, have already ratified the agreement. This means that no country can come up with an excuse not to ratify it. But the real change has to come from the industry. "

The industry is thus not an enemy for you?

"On the contrary. Many companies are ahead of politicians in their environmental policies. Why was the Paris Climate Conference a success and the one of Copenhagen, seven years ago, not? Because in 2009 the idea that tackling climate change would be an incredibly expensive operation, was still very strong. Everyone wanted to postpone this invoice. In Paris on the other hand, everyone saw the business benefits of the agreement. "

"Look, the big money is in the big corporations, with the banks and with the insurance sector. At the end of the day the world will only be saved if modern capitalism becomes greener. "

Development aid thus has little future.

"In the short term it will remain necessary, especially for the poorest countries. Development Money is also needed to reduce the risks of a green investment, but the investment itself will eventually need to be done with private funds. Last week I was in Shanghai for the G20 meeting . There we made a deal with a financial company that has 450 million customers. They are now going to teach all these customers how they can become more green. "

Is there still a future for companies dealing with fossil fuels?

"Only if they quickly reinvent themselves. Oil companies that do not do so, will go down the road of Kodak. The intention is that I will meet the CEOs of these companies. And that is the message I will give them. "

You praised the climate policies of China and the US. But what if Donald Trump gets elected ?

"It is frightening and dangerous when a politician no longer believes in science. Fortunately, China is taking over the green leadership. That was a role that Europe has played for a long time, but if the EU does not quickly pull up its socks, it will end up in the back of the bus. "

The UN often get criticism. They would be too bureaucratic. Do you agree with that.

"I agree with the Chinese president who says that we should stop to palaver and that we must act much more ."