CEO Interviews

Erik Solheim Former Minister Former Minister of the Environment and Former Minister of International Development, Norway.

"There is no way we can achieve a green society without working day-to-day with the private sector."

Solheim is perhaps unique in serving concurrently as the Norwegian Minister for two federal departments --- Environment and International Development. But such a structure was implemented out of a recognition neither environmental protection nor development can be sustainable in isolation. Prior to serving as Minister, Solheim held several positions in the Socialist Left Party of Norway.

President
"We tax the wrong things. What are rare are the resources, our environment. Therefore, this should be the basis for taxation."
Biodiversity Chair
"If we hope to have a reasonable future for people and indeed for corporations, we have to find a way for all corporations to take biodiversity into account."
Executive Chairman
"We need to move out of the era of business that causes collateral damage to business that causes collateral benefits."
Former CFO and Board Member
"Society has changed, people have changed, and there is democratization of entrepreneurship."
CEO
"More and more, agency people need to say no to being asked to do something that doesn't match their values"
Professor of Sociology
"If we don't get corporations' goals aligned with society, one or the other of those entities is ultimately going to be unsustainable, either corporations or society."
CEO
"Corporation 2020 will be a more responsible company in all facets of that word."
Professor of Law
Vice President
"We are clearly facing multiple crises, and we have choices to make. We can't let the future be a matter of chance; it has to be a matter of choice."
Former Minister
"There is no way we can achieve a green society without working day-to-day with the private sector."
Commissioner
"There are a significant number of cases where the cost of doing the sustainable thing is not going to get captured. So we really have to have a better regulatory framework that internalizes those externalities."
CEO
"India, fortunately, didn't fall in the trap of the belief that a free market regulates itself."
Executive Vice-President
"We realized that if the region is going to be successful in the 21st century, where we needed to go was not only inclusive growth, but sustainable inclusive growth."
Former Chairman
"Pricing energy appropriately will always help improve energy efficiency."
CEO
"In the long term...companies that don't have goals aligned with society are going to disappear."
Chairman
"We want this business to be a sustainable business. We want this business to last for a long time. And to do that, society has to let us do that, has to let us exist."
Professor of Law
CEO
"What's exciting is that the conversation is real, it's alive, and it's shifting from 'feel-good' to financial metrics and the metrics of delivery."