In Pursuit of Development Erik Solheim on sustainable development
Our world is facing considerable challenges, not just in relation to the Covid crisis, but also in terms of our desire to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger and address the adverse impacts caused by climate disruption.
Despite such challenges, we cannot underestimate the numerous developmental successes that the world has witnessed in recent decades. In relation to health, prosperity, safety, peace, and happiness, humanity is much better off today than ever before in history. And although such achievements have not been equally replicated in all arenas (e.g. the environment), this should deter us from asking what “success” means in practice, and how such ideas can be mobilized by national governments and the international community in pursuit of sustainable development.
To discuss the relationship between development and the environment, the need to change consumer behavior and the future role of China, India, aid and the United Nations in a post-Covid world is my guest this week – Erik Solheim – a veteran Norwegian diplomat, who has previously served as the leader of Norway’s Socialist Left Party (1987-1997) and was Norway’s Minister for International Development and Minister of Environment (2005-2012). He also served as Chair of the OECD's Development Assistance Committee (DAC) (2013-2016) and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (2016-2018).
Resources:
- Erik Solheim, UNEP website
- How Can We Better Understand “Success” in International Development?
- Follow Erik Solheim on Twitter
- Follow Dan Banik on Twitter
Host
Dan Banik (@danbanik @GlobalDevPod)
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