Meet Erik Solheim: The Man Who Shaped Global Climate Policy Is Now Backing India’s Green Hydrogen Dream

India’s green hydrogen push has crossed a critical threshold—and the world is taking note. With Erik Solheim stepping in as President of the International Advisory Board of Green Hydrogen India, India’s clean-energy ambitions have gained unmistakable global weight.

Erik Solheim Backing India’s Green Hydrogen Dream

India’s green hydrogen moment has arrived, and it now carries the imprint of one of the world’s most influential voices in climate diplomacy. With Erik Solheim stepping in as President of the International Advisory Board of Green Hydrogen India, the country’s clean energy ambitions have gained not just momentum, but unmistakable global resonance. This is more than a high-profile appointment. It is a signal that India’s green hydrogen story is moving from promise to purpose, from national aspiration to international relevance.

Announcing his appointment, Solheim spoke with optimism and warmth about the rapid rise of Green Hydrogen India, or GH2 India, under the leadership of Nishaanth Balashanmugam and his team. He pointed to a packed roadmap ahead, featuring initiatives such as the India Green Hydrogen Assembly, the Green Ports and Shipping Network, and the Green Hydrogen India Symposium. These are not abstract plans, but carefully designed platforms aimed at accelerating India’s green hydrogen ecosystem at scale.

Behind the optimism lies a deeper message. India’s vast solar and wind potential has already reshaped its renewable energy landscape. Green hydrogen is now the next frontier, and Solheim’s arrival suggests that the world is paying close attention.

From Vision to Execution: Why Platforms Like GH2 India Matter

Leadership alone is not enough, as platforms that convert vision into execution matter just as much. The International Advisory Board of Green Hydrogen India operates in close association with GH2 India, a multi-stakeholder platform that has quickly become a focal point for India’s hydrogen ambitions. GH2 India brings together government bodies, industry leaders, global experts, financiers and civil society, creating a rare space where policy intent meets market reality.

Its mandate is clear. GH2 India works on policy advocacy, investment facilitation, capacity building and international cooperation, all with the aim of positioning India as a serious contender in the global green hydrogen economy. The Advisory Board strengthens this mission by injecting global perspectives and strategic guidance, ensuring that India’s approach remains aligned with international standards and emerging markets.

In just a short span, GH2 India has evolved from a convening platform into a national and international reference point for green hydrogen dialogue. It has launched high-profile initiatives like the India Green Hydrogen Assembly and built momentum around sector-led programs, all while operating as a lean, mission-driven organisation. That evolution explains why the Advisory Board’s role, and its leadership, matter so deeply at this stage.

Erik Solheim: A Career Built at the Crossroads of Environment and Development

Solheim’s role in Green Hydrogen India is not an isolated chapter. It is a continuation of a lifetime spent aligning environment, development and diplomacy.

Few global leaders bring Solheim’s breadth of experience to the table. He served as Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme between 2016 and 2018, navigating climate diplomacy at a time when global consensus was fragile and the stakes were high. Before that, as Chair of the OECD Development Assistance Committee, he pushed development finance beyond traditional aid, championing private-sector engagement and innovative funding mechanisms.

His earlier years in Norwegian politics are equally instructive. As Norway’s Minister of Environment and International Development, Solheim held a combined portfolio that almost no country has dared to replicate. During this period, Norway became the first nation to consistently allocate 1 per cent of GDP to development aid, while simultaneously passing the Nature Diversity Act, considered the most significant environmental legislation in Norway in a century.

Perhaps most telling is his role in launching the Norwegian Climate and Forest Initiative. At the time, few believed a single country could meaningfully influence global deforestation. Under Solheim’s leadership, Norway committed billions of dollars and partnered with Brazil, Indonesia and Guyana, directly shaping what later became UN-REDD, now one of the world’s most influential climate mechanisms. It is a reminder that durable climate institutions often begin with bold political conviction.

A Diplomat Who Understands Consensus and Complexity

Solheim’s experience extends beyond climate and development into the delicate art of diplomacy. He served as the chief facilitator of the Sri Lanka peace process from 1998 to 2005, helping deliver the 2002 Oslo Declaration. He later contributed to peace efforts in Sudan, Nepal, Myanmar and Burundi, often working in deeply polarised environments.

Why does this matter for green hydrogen? Because building a hydrogen economy is not merely a technological challenge. It is a coordination challenge that demands trust between governments, industries, investors and communities. Solheim’s career has been defined by navigating complexity, balancing competing interests and building consensus where none seemed possible.

His connection to India is also long-standing. His work on global climate and development has repeatedly intersected with Indian institutions, and he received an honorary doctorate from TERI University in Delhi in recognition of his contribution to sustainability and climate leadership. This is not a distant international appointment, but a continuation of engagement with India’s development journey.

The Stakes Are High: Challenges That Will Shape India’s Path

The promise is immense, but so are the challenges that will define whether India leads or follows. India’s green hydrogen ambitions face real obstacles. High production costs remain a major barrier, driven by expensive electrolysers and the cost of renewable electricity. Infrastructure gaps in storage, transport pipelines and distribution networks limit scalability. Many projects struggle with demand uncertainty, as long-term off-take agreements remain scarce and investor risk remains high.

Policy and regulatory frameworks are also still evolving. Clear standards around safety, certification and international trade are essential if India wants to compete in global markets. Without them, even the most ambitious projects risk stalling before they reach commercial maturity.

Yet these challenges are not unique to India. What sets India apart is the scale of opportunity running alongside the obstacles.

Opportunity at Scale: Why the World Is Watching India

India’s abundance of solar and wind resources offers a pathway to low-cost renewable power that few countries can match. This creates a long-term competitive advantage in green hydrogen production, especially as technology costs fall and manufacturing scales up.

Green hydrogen also opens doors to deep decarbonization in sectors that are otherwise hard to clean up. Steel, fertilisers, chemicals and shipping all stand to benefit. The inclusion of initiatives such as the Green Ports and Shipping Network reflects GH2 India’s recognition that hydrogen adoption will be driven not only by production, but by real-world demand hubs like ports, shipping corridors and industrial clusters.

Export potential adds another layer of opportunity. As global demand for clean fuels rises, India could emerge as a key supplier to Europe, Japan and South Korea, particularly through derivatives like green ammonia. For a country seeking both climate leadership and economic growth, the alignment is powerful.

What Solheim’s Tenure Could Unlock

Solheim’s appointment brings expectations that extend well beyond symbolism. His experience in multilateral diplomacy positions him to strengthen global partnerships and attract foreign investment and technology collaboration. He is well placed to help harmonise certification frameworks, emissions labelling, and trade protocols, making Indian green hydrogen compatible with global markets.

Equally important is his potential role in demand creation. By advocating for coordinated industrial adoption and policy mechanisms that provide long-term certainty, Solheim can help de-risk private investment and accelerate commercialisation. His track record at the OECD, where he reframed development finance around private capital and blended finance, offers a useful blueprint.

The Way Forward: From Momentum to Leadership

The path ahead requires focus and discipline. Cost reduction through research, development and local manufacturing of electrolysers must remain a priority. Infrastructure investment, from pipelines to storage hubs and export-ready ports, will determine how quickly projects move from plans to reality.

Clear and trusted policy frameworks around safety, certification and trade are essential. So is demand aggregation, through targeted obligations and market mechanisms that create reliable off-take. Above all, global cooperation will be critical, and this is where Solheim’s network and credibility could prove decisive.

Taken together, these efforts could transform India from an emerging player into a global leader in green hydrogen, delivering climate benefits, energy security and economic growth over the coming decade.

A Moment That Demands Collective Action

Green hydrogen sits at the intersection of climate ambition, industrial strategy and global cooperation. India’s journey will not be easy, but it is increasingly clear that it will not be lonely either.

As Solheim himself has said, “If we all come together and work together, there is no limit to what we can achieve on planet Earth.” In green hydrogen, India now has both the opportunity and the leadership to prove it.