Erik Solheim

God discussions at WION conference in Delhi 🇮🇳

‘India has moved from the backseat to the front seat’: Norwegian Climate Expert Erik Solheim on the renewable energy boom at WION World Pulse #WIONWorldPulse #RhythmOfTheNewWorldOrder READ: wionews.com/india-news/-in… wionews.com/india-news/-in…

What is next in environment and climate? I was privileged to speak about what the future will bring for green development in India 🇮🇳 and the world. At the huge NXT Conclave in Delhi. India is already the third largest renewable nation. Next is the crossrads between green development and the artificial intelligence revolution. Next is also the green transport transformation in India - electric cars, scooters and three wheelers. 25 cities across Bharat are constructing metros. High speed rail will open next year. This impressive conference focused on what’s next in every walk of life - in geopolitics, medicine, economics, environment and more. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended, with leaders and activists from India and the world. I was als asked to lead a wonderful panel on Sustainable choices. It was a good discussion between Dasho Sangay Khandu, deputy speaker of National Assembly of Bhutan and Indian veteran diplomat Harsh Vardhan Shringla who is member of Raiya Sabha. Inspiring day in Delhi!

Thanks for your thoughtful response. I have read quite a lot of modern Indian history and are well aware of the points you make. But as a foreigner I have the privilege that I can admire Indians of different colors for their contributions to Bharat - even if they were bitter enemies or at least competitors at the time. I for instance believe that both Gandhiji and Hedgewar, both the independence movement led by Congress and the RSS, have helped form the much stronger india we see today.

Thank you for your response, Mr. Erik. However, I hope you are aware that the Hon’ble Prime Minister belongs to a political tradition in which Vinayak Damodar Savarkar is regarded as an important ideologue. It is also a matter of historical record that Nathuram Godse had close ideological and personal associations in that milieu, and went on to assassinate Mahatma Gandhi. In this context, one would expect an unequivocal and repeated condemnation of Godse’s act. However, it is difficult to recall a clear and direct denunciation in the public speeches of the Prime Minister specifically addressing the act of Gandhi ji’s assassination. Given Gandhi ji’s unparalleled place in India’s moral and political history, clarity on this issue is not merely symbolic—it reflects the values that guide public leadership.

Session 5 | Planet Pulse: Green Growth & the Climate Divide: The Business of Climate: Profit or Planet? "If India goes solar, it will become much less vulnerable," says Erik Solheim (@ErikSolheim), Former Minister of Climate and the Environment, Norway, in conversation with @eriknjoka #WIONWorldPulse #RhythmOfTheNewWorldOrder

@attorneybharti @WIONews You are really a sharp observer. Bravo! And indeed I admire both Gandhiji and Modiji. Nalin Mehtas book about “The new BJP” is simply brilliant.

Listening to Mr Erik Solheim, Former Minister of Climate and Environment, Norway on climate change @WIONews and suddenly I saw the books at his back, ‘Gandhi’ and ‘New BJP’ together! @ErikSolheim is trying to balance the two.

The nation that refuses to learn. Are American presidents immune to learning? The US is the world’s most powerful nation - by far. Still it has basically lost all its recent wars - Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya. Now the US has attacked Iran with not the slightest hint it has learned from history. How can you loose when your military firepower is like the ten next nations combined? What are the mistakes? * Wars are easy to start. And difficult to end. No American President would have started wars in Vietnam or Afghanistan if they knew they would last for twenty years. “Easy quantative measurement we have shows that we are winning this war”, the Vietnam war architect Bob McNamara claimed twelve years before the US finally lost in 1975. George W Bush declared “mission accomplished” in Iraq at a time American losses had hardly started. * Wars are asymmetrical. Few are so stupid to fight tank against tank or aircraft against aiorcraft. The Vietnamese, the Afghans, the Iraqis, now the Iranians pick their own targets to harm the US. In Vietnam the US occupied targets like the Hamburger Hill at enormous costs, just to experience that the Vietnamese nationalists were back a few weeks later. Iran is not frontally attacking the US army, but sending drones closing the global oil market. They may soon aim at American soft targets globally? * Other people are nationalists too. America claim to be the “exceptional” nation. And for sure - Americans will fight to the last man for Kansas or Oklahoma if attacked. By why not understand that so will other people? Vietnam mobilized in the name of Vietnam, not so much communism. Some Afghan fighters were Islamist, but they were all Afghan nationalists. The Iranian regime was not popular in Iran before the war. I bet their popularity will increase when the US destroy their beautiful cities and historical heritage. If anyone bombed a girl school in Texas, would they gain popularity in the US? The US won nearly all battles in Vietnam, in Iraq and Afghanistan. But they lost the wars. If Trump cannot soon close the war he just started, I bet the US will lose this also. A nation immune against learning from history is set up for failure.

@navdeepsuri @DeKoderAI @Nidhi Thanks for a great conversation! I really learned a lot from your experience, knowledge and interesting perspectives. Happy to stay in touch. My WhatsApp is + 47 948 71 159

My thoughts on the standoff in the Gulf @DeKoderAI with @Nidhi and Ambassador @ErikSolheim

Wars are easy to start - and very difficult to end. How could President Trump miss this lesson from previous US wars? Wonderful discussion with the very experienced Indian 🇮🇳 ambassador Navdeep Suri!

The growth of electric trucks in China 🇨🇳 is mindboggling. Electric trucks incredibly reached 29% of the market in China in 2029. In Europe we are still at 2%. China sold 231 000 new energy heavy vehicles in 2025 - an increase of 182%. This wonderful developments in China are driven by government mandates and by the new battery swopping technology. It takes five minutes to swop batteries. Electric trucks are also substantially cheaper to run than diesel trucks. Many electric trucks are driverless. Autonomous trucks are particularlly useful in mines and at closed factory sites. If Western car makers dont wake up, they unfortunately have good reason to be scared as hell. lnkd.in/d5ixZtBZ

This man is the world’s number one promoter of renewables! President Trump claims to be against wind mills and solar panels. In reality he is the world’s most active salesman for renewables. That is because the world looks to his actions not his talk. Horrible as the US war of aggression against Iran is, it is never so bad there cannot be good unintended consequences. Everyone understands the lesson: If you dont want your peoples future too depend om the Hormuz Strait, it you don’t want to link your nation to the volatile oil market - go renewable. Do it fast! The sun and wind and the great rivers are Indian, Chinese, European, Brazilian, African - even American. Every solar panel you put up, every wind mill you install, every hydropower project you plan make your nation more energy secure, more dependent on national resources which you can control. The lesson from Hormuz is crystals clear!

Incredible! Ruyi Bridge, Zhejiang 🇨🇳

Exciting plans for solar power to poor households in Bihar 🇮🇳! Bihar government plans to provide roof top solar free of charge to 6 million households in Bihar who come under the poverty line. This is an incredible number! The policy will help communities, the environment and economic development. Tenders are out. Households above the poverty line will benefit from Government of India subsidies at 40%. Bihar is a very heavily populated state with intense farming. The solar opportunities are imports from other states as well as roof top, agrivolatic and use of abandoned land. I visited Patna this week and I came back impressed by the dedication of local government, utilities and the business sector.

Great discussions on green farming in Bihar and India 🇮🇳! Bihar is the most agricultural state in India. More than 70% of the people are at least partly working the land. I was privileged to be invited to discuss the future of farming in Patna. The green revolution and the artificial intelligence revolution can make agriculture smarter, making for better income and be more friendly to Mother Earth. Opportunities are many: * Bihar can introduce more ecological farming like in Andhra Pradesh. More produce, better health, improved environment. * Bihar will embrace the solar revolution. Establishing solar plants on vacant lands and roof tops, combining solar panels with farming - agrivoltaic * Waste is a resource - using agricultural residues for fertilizer, fuel and energy * Combining agriculture with tourism, adding income for rural folks. Bihar is the beating heart of Indian history, it is the land of the Buddha. It has fantastic sights. I enjoyed great insights from Minister of Agriculture Shri Ram Kripal, from Sandeep Chaurasia, Prabhat Sinha and delegates with deep experience from the sector. Thanks from exciting day in Patna!

Incredible - this company produces more solar cells than any nation! Tongwei Solar 9 years. 1st place. History made! Tongwei Solar has become the first company to surpass 400 gigawatt cumulative shipments. That is much more than any nation (except China) has added to the grid in its history. Since 2017 Tongwei has ranked #1 in global solar cell shipments — nine consecutive years. Tongwei is headquartered in Chengdu, China 🇨🇳. It was once a fishfarming company. Then they added solar panels to the fish farms. Now solar is the main business. Such a wonderful and remarkable story! I go I often to Chengdu - and I am inspired by Tongwei every time.

Bravo - India starts production of 91,2 meter wind blades. Adani New Industries just announced it will start making enormous wind blades at its factory in Mundra, Gujarat. 91,2 meters they will be the longest in India. The wind blades are comparable to a 30 street building. One sweep covers the area of three football fields. Model productions has already started, serial production wil come this year. Adani plans for 5 gigawatt production at Mundra with a long term aim at 10 gigawatt. India is already world’s fourth largest wind producer. It will climb further on the ranking! lnkd.in/dyyVHEvG

Make it in India 🇮🇳 - new battery megafactory is coming. Waree Energies just announced it will build a new litium-ion battery megafactory in Anakapalli, Andhra Pradesh. It will be India’s largest battery manufacturing plant and play a critical role in strengthening domestic manufacturing. The capacity will be 16 gigawartt and it will cover the complete battery value chain, including cell manufacturing, battery packs and Battery Energy Storage Systems. It will create 3000 jobs. The cost is expected to be 8175 core rupees (near 1 billion dollar dollars). The global battery industry today is totally dominated by China and Korea. More competition is welcome! Congrats Bharat! lnkd.in/dTasCbUK

Renewables will take over - here is why. Nations go green because of price and scale, not so much ideology. Even solar with battery storage now outcompetes coal. India and China are leading this world change. My podcast from Raisina Dialogue, Delhi

#RaisinaDialogueXFirstpost: At the Raisina Dialogue 2026, @ErikSolheim discussed the global climate leadership gap following the United States’ exit from the Paris Agreement in a session moderated by @SunjoyJ of the Observer Research Foundation. Solheim argued that expanding solar and wind energy would make India more energy secure, reducing dependence on external suppliers and vulnerable routes such as the Strait of Hormuz, as well as imports from countries like Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Norway. Watch the full video here: youtube.com/watch?v=OI4RYw… @orfonline @raisinadialogue @meaindia #RaisinaDialogue #RaisinaDialogue2026

Cold has long slowed electric vehicles. But the problem will disappear soon! BYD will bring 97% charge in 12 minutes at minus 30 🥶. Wow and Wow! ☀️