New UNEP director: Nature's chief protector

Looking at his titles, Erik Solheim seems a worthy successor to previous UNEP director Achim Steiner. In 2009, UNEP pronounced the Norwegian politician "Champion of the Earth" for his environment and climate work. He's has also been named Time Magazine's "Hero of the Environment." Solheim led the OECD Development Assistance Committee before taking on his new job.

Asked about his new position, Solheim said the challenges were huge, one of them being ocean conservation. On World Oceans Day, he tweeted: "We should make quantum leap in protection of the immense beauty and economic value of our oceans!" There's a lot to do under the sea: save reefs, rid the seas of plastic waste, stop over-fishing.

New species are discovered in rainforests every month. "Let's protect them!" Solheim says. Rainforest roughly the area of 35 soccer fields is destroyed every minute. As if this tragic loss wasn't enough, it brings with it an enormous increase of CO2 in the atmosphere.

Another major challenge lies in the political and the economic sector, according to Solheim: "Financing the preservation and rejuvenation of our planet cannot be the purview of governments alone. Private sector finance is both vital for sustainable development, and an opportunity for business."

Solheim wants to support countries that don't have the conditions or technology for environmentally friendly transport or a sustainable energy supply. "If politics can't solve environmental issues, the pressure coming from climate refugees in developing countries will grow even more in the future," he warns.

"It's nonsense to talk about the greenhouse effect and climate change as something that'll affect us only in the future," Solheim told a Norwegian magazine. "We can achieve a lot more. But the only way to do this is by working cooperatively. I look forward to working with member states and welcoming voices and efforts from all parts of society to tackle our common challenges."