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Total tests the potential of all its investments by integrating a cost for carbon.It is up to governments to stimulate and encourage this type of innovation.Climate change has changed the way we see the world. It is also writing our future. What type of future that will be depends on whether we embrace the green shift. What we can say for sure is that if we cling to the old, we will fail. ■ABOUT THE AUTHORFollowing an extensive career focusing on environment and development in government and international organizations, Erik Solheim was elected to become Executive Director of UNEP on May 13, 2016. Prior to joining UNEP, Mr Solheim was the chair of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). From 2007 to 2012, he held the combined portfolio of Norway’s Minister of the Environment and International Development, and from 2005 to 2007 served as Minister of International Development. This unique portfolio mixture allowed him to bring a coherent approach to development aPictured: Erik Solheimnd the environment.and institutional investors are probably most invested in long-term market growth. If you do not put stock in politicians or businesses telling you that future growth will be green growth, it may be worth it to listen to the financial institutions. UN Environment’s Inquiry team has identified a snowballing revolution in the financial system that speaks to this future. The number of policy and regulatory measures by finance ministries, central banks and financial regulators to promote sustainable finance have risen to 217, and now exist in nearly 60 countries.Businesses will also be the ones to develop clean technologies. They are comfortable on the cutting edge, and we have seen any number of advancements and ambitions that are fantastic for sustainability efforts. Advancements like an app from ANT Financial, an affiliate of Alibaba. This app allows millions of users to compete with each other for who can be greener, such as by investing in green financial products. The greener a user becomes, the more they nurture a digital tree. And when the tree grows large enough online, a real tree is planted by the company in Inner Mongolia, helping with both carbon sequestration and to prevent desertification. We also see ambitions like that of the French energy company Total, which wants to be one of the world’s largest solar companies by 2030. In the meantime, GLOBAL VOICES 049