Erik Solheim (L), Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and UNEP Executive Director, gives an exclusive interview to Xinhuanet in Shanghai, Sept. 5, 2016. (Xinhuanet/Liang Hongru)
BEIJING, Sept. 6 (Xinhuanet) -- China's roles and influences in the inclusive and green development of global economy should be praised, said Erik Solheim, the UNEP Executive Director Monday in Shanghai.
Solheim, also the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, said this during an exclusive interview with Xinhuanet.
"We need a rapid economic development in the world, but it must be inclusive," he pointed out, noting that everyone should be a part of, and should benefit from that economic development.
Meanwhile he also praised the long term view of President Xi Jinping, as he commenting Xi's speech at the G20 Hangzhou Summit.
With the theme of "Toward an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy," this year's G20 summit was held in the east China's Hangzhou city on Sunday and Monday.
Besides, "there is no issue in the world we cannot solve if we stand together," he said, attaching the significance to the solidarity and cooperation.
Last Saturday, Presidents of China and the United States handed over their countries' instruments of joining the Paris Agreement separately to Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon in Hangzhou.
"It is an amazing progress," he commented on this handover, saying, "not just China leads China, but also China leads the entire world."
It is also during this year's G20 Hangzhou Summit that green finance was put on the top agenda of the summit.
"I'm delighted that a major power like China says that economic development must be green," said Mr. Solheim, "That should provide global ecological civilization."
What Solheim advocated is not "take the road of first developing the industry and later put on some pollution control," for environment and development ceannot be separated.
Therefore, he held, "driving investments to the green sectors is absolutely the key,” otherwise it can never succeed.
He listed a number of industries, like climate-friendly agriculture, renewable energies, and ecological tourism, highlighting "people want economic development, but at the same time they want to see the bright sky and yellow sun in."
All new jobs that are needed in sectors underpinning the ecological civilization could be provided, he believed.
In addition, he also gave three points on leading countries to fulfill the environmental goals in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
First of all, he said it is to work with the government of China, and to provide expertise and knowledge on how these plans can be done.
Second point is to work with private sectors and come up with technological solutions.
The third one is to raise the environmental awareness of the people.
Indeed, "it is our common home," he said, "Take that attitude, when government makes decisions, when businessmen make decisions, and when individuals make decisions."
