Current Arctic marine shipping is mainly intra-Arctic. Since 2000, there have only been a few trans-Arctic voyages in summer for science and tourism across the Northwest Passage and the Northern Sea Route. The main consequence of climate change for Arctic marine shipping is contained in the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA)'s key finding that "reduced sea ice is very likely to increase marine transport and access to resources". This background paper, prepared by Erik J. Molenaar and Robert Corell for the Arctic TRANSFORM project, focuses on intra-Arctic and trans-Arctic marine shipping in the Arctic marine area.

This background paper, prepared by Erik J. Molenaar and Robert Corell for the Arctic TRANSFORM project, focuses on fisheries that occur in the Arctic marine area, including fisheries for anadromous species that spawn in rivers that flow directly into the Arctic marine area. The paper follows a sectoral perspective, but in pursuance of an ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF). Due to this sectoral perspective, the focus will be exclusively on international instruments and intergovernmental and other relevant international bodies that relate to, or pursue, conservation as well as management. No attention will therefore be paid to those that focus exclusively on conservation of species and habitat by various means, including by the regulation of international trade.

Today, the loss of biological diversity has already reached alarming proportions, proportions which climate change is not expected to reach for several decades. Despite this, climate change continues to dominate political debates, whereas biodiversity is still seen as an issue of secondary importance. In this publication, Sascha Müller-Kraenner, Senior Policy Advisor of Ecologic Institute, summarizes why a political and institutional reassessment of biodiversity is so necessary.

This policy analysis, prepared for the Arctic TRANSFORM project, provides a comparative analysis of EU and U.S. policy relevant to dealing with the effects of climate change in Arctic marine areas. Arctic marine governance at present is a patchwork of rules, measures and polices at various levels and institutions. A key question is how better co-ordination among the current sectoral and regional approaches can be achieved to address future governance needs. A second question is whether even better co-ordination among these approaches will suffice to meet these needs, or whether a more comprehensive approach is required. Addressing the unique challenges facing the marine Arctic could be an opportunity for both the EU and U.S. to revitalise their co-operation and show combined environmental leadership.

This policy brief draws upon a series of background papers, expert meetings, and interviews to provide an overview of the international and EU governance options for addressing the rapid changes underway in the region. While reflecting the opinions of its authors, this policy brief benefits from the opinions and insights of the experts participating in the five thematic working groups of Arctic TRANSFORM.

This background paper, prepared by the Arctic Centre in September 2008 as part of the Arctic TRANSFORM project addresses the magnitude of current oil and gas activities in the offshore Arctic and outlines the potential environmental, social and economic consequences of the offshore hydrocarbon activities. It examines the international legal framework for offshore oil and gas activities in the Arctic, including transboundary environmental assessment of oil and gas activities and addresses the current policy context in offshore oil and gas activities in the Arctic.

The aim of this paper, prepared by the Arctic Centre in September 2008 as part of the Arctic TRANSFORM project, is to present the situation of the Arctic indigenous peoples in relation to the changing marine environment. The Arctic region is home to several groups of indigenous peoples (including Inupiat, Yup’ik and Aleut in Alaska, Inuit in Greenland and Canada, Saami in Fennoscandia and Russia and, Yup’ik, Chukchi, Even, Evenk and Nenets in Russia). Out of the total population of 4 million people in the Arctic, 10 % are indigenous. Climate change significantly impacts the traditional harvesting and other activities of indigenous peoples.

This paper presents an overview of the existing institutional and legal framework relevant to environmental governance, as well as formal and informal governance structures in the Arctic marine area. It highlights the complexity of approaches applicable at the local, regional and international scales, rather than identifying gaps in governance at the sectoral scale. The background paper is available for download.

The committees of the European Parliament play a critical role in ensuring the effectiveness of EU policy during both the development of legislation and policy and its subsequent implementation. The Committee on Foreign Affairs (Affaires étrangères, AFET) is one of the 20 Committees of the European Parliament and is, among others, responsible for the Common Foreign Security Policy (CFSP) and the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). Ecologic Institute was leading a consortium of six institutes given a framework contract to provide the European Parliament’s Foreign Policy Committees with independent expert advice on a range of issues relating to developmental and environmental policy. During the course of this project, standard briefings, ad-hoc briefings, studies and workshops were conducted.

As the impacts of climate change and global demand for marine resources have increased, the development of an integrated, holistic marine governance framework has become a key goal for both the EU and US. Recent policy events on both sides of the Atlantic provide a window of opportunity to significantly improve marine governance in national and international waters. To this end, the Ecologic Institute led a transatlantic project team that convened a multi-stakeholder dialogue allowing experts from the EU, US and other regions to develop best practices for integrated marine management.

<p>&#13; The 2010 Senior Congressional Staff Study Tour of Germany brought Chiefs of Staff of members of the US Congress to Berlin and Cologne to take stock of the political situation in Germany after the federal election in September 2009 and before the vote in North Rhine-Westphalia in May 2010. On invitation by The United States Association of Former Members of Congress (USAFMC), R. Andreas Kraemer of Ecologic Institute led a discussion on the current trends and outlook for energy policy in Germany and the European Union.</p>&#13;

<p>&#13; In celebration of the 10th anniversary of its Center for Sustainable Enterprise, the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School hosted a conference on Global Innovations in Energy: How Business Is Addressing Climate Change in Chapel Hill, NC, on 20-21 April 2010.  R. Andreas Kraemer of Ecologic Institute provided a European perspective to a plenary session on The Energy Policy and Regulation Landscape: Challenges and Opportunities.</p>&#13; <p>&#13; </p>

<p>Ecologic Institute implemented an ongoing project evaluation of the LIAISE network of excellence to assess the outcomes and the impacts of the LIAISE Network of Excellence. The main purpose of this was to identify and exploit opportunities to bridge the existing gap between the research and the policy community in the field of Impact Assessment (IA) and to improve the use of IA tools in policy making.</p>

<p>&#13; Christiane Gerstetter, Fellow Ecologic Legal, provided an introduction to various international agreements to a Palestinian audience during a workshop in Ramallah on 29-30 March 2010. The workshop was convened by the Environmental Quality Authority of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). Its aim was to raise awareness among Palestinians about international environmental agreements.</p>