UN climate chief Erik Solheim quits after claiming $500,000 in travel expenses

The UN’s environmental chief has quit after an audit found he’d claimed $500k in travel expenses in under two years.

Erik Solheim has quit as head of the UN’s environmental body. Picture: AFP

The head of the UN’s environmental body has resigned after an audit found that he had claimed nearly $500,000 in travel expenses in under two years.

Erik Solheim’s frequent flying prompted accusations that he risked damaging the reputation of the UN Environment Program (UNEP), which calls for reductions in emissions to prevent climate change. Some countries were said to have held back funding from the body because they were unhappy with his conduct, risking undermining its finances.

The audit had questioned the need for such extensive travel over 22 months by the former environment minister of Norway at a time when UNEP was struggling with shrinking budgets.

The report said that this was a “reputation risk” for an organisation dedicated to fighting climate change.

Announcing his resignation, Mr Solheim, 63, said that he had received the final audit report by the UN’s Office of Internal Oversight Services on the official travel.

“I have been, and remain, committed to doing what I believe to be in the best interest of UN Environment and the mission we are here to achieve,” he said.

“For this reason, after deep reflection and in close consultation with the secretary-general, I am stepping down as executive director of UN Environment with effect from November 22. With a heavy heart, I informed the secretary-general of my decision.”

Stephane Dujarric, a UN spokesman, said that Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary-general, was “pleased to see that UNEP is committed to implementing the recommendations that are found in the OIOS [the UN’s Office of Internal Oversight Services] report on the travel office”.

Mr Solheim previously said that travelling was essential to his job because “making good on our global agenda demands engagement with the world”.

His resignation comes before a UN conference opening in Poland on December 2 on implementing the Paris agreement on climate change.

The Times