Climate change, energy security and peak oil are challenges that may lead to an increased use of Arctic resources and water ways. Professor Suzanne Lalonde of the University of Montreal discussed legal aspects of Arctic sovereignty and the emerging security issues.
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The EU has taken a first step towards reducing its environmental impacts on the Arctic region by investigating EU-driven pressures on the Arctic. Vice President of the European Parliament, Diana Wallis, Iceland's Senior Arctic Official, Greta Gunnarsdottir and Nicholas Hanley, Head of the International Relations and Enlargement Unit for DG Environment welcomed over 60 experts from government and civil society...Read more
The one-day workshop brought together 16 European and Arctic stakeholders to develop potential scenarios for the future (up to 2030). The chief objective of the EU Arctic Footprint project is to explore policy options for reducing the EU’s environmental footprint in the Arctic. Given the high level of uncertainty with regard to both policy development and the impacts of current...Read more
Ecologic Institute cooperates on researching the "Environmental Security in the Arctic Ocean". The work culminates in a NATO Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) and a book that addresses the prevention of conflicts in relation to scarcity of resources, and threats to environmental security with implications for economic, cultural and political instability. The project's main sponsor is the NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme (SPS).
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The Arctic is often referred to as the bellwether of global climate change. According to the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment and the most recent assessment from IPCC, the warming rate is twice that of the global average, with predictions of further increases leading to substantial loss of Arctic sea ice and large-scale thawing of the permafrost. The Arctic has also been a bellwether for the impact of long-range transboundary air pollution, both regarding human health and how pollutants affect wildlife. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals (e.g. mercury) are transported long distances through air and water, are deposited in the Arctic and bioaccumulate through the food chain. Some indigenous peoples have a high exposure to these pollutants, primarily through their diet. The goal of this project is to improve the effectiveness of EU environmental policies with respect to the Arctic region.
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