The challenges of today go beyond deadlines decided by governments, territorial claims on oceans and lands, or borders drawn on a map.
Addressing global issues requires collaborative efforts and swift decision-making. Dismantling the barriers between science, business, and policy is necessary to deepen communication and enhance our understanding of the pan-Arctic ecosystem.
Modern challenges, such as the impacts of climate change, fostering sustainable development, and navigating political tensions, are deeply interconnected. Whilst the financial, societal, and environmental costs of the green transition will not be fairly distributed worldwide, we need to find a solution for the Arctic and ensure the Arctic can positively influence the world stage.
The Big Picture reunites political officials, Indigenous leaders, representatives from industry and NGOs, and academics in panel discussions. The aim is to break down silos of countries, sectors, cultures and generations for holistic exchanges on timely topics.
Arctic State of Affairs
Tensions worldwide have mounted and shifted in the past year, and social divides are rising. The climate crisis needs to be solved, and many environmental and sustainability goals may be missed by the decade’s end. Additionally, with geopolitical shifts, economic development maps are being reshaped. 2024 has been a year of opportunity, with 49 percent of the world’s population, including thousands of Arctic citizens, heading to the election polls. All these choices around the globe impact the Arctic with politics, business and climate transcending borders.
The upcoming transition of the Arctic Council’s Chairship from Norway to the Kingdom of Denmark is one of many examples of developments in Arctic governance. It underscores the Arctic’s shared responsibility, which in addition to national level initiative, necessitates leadership from local and Indigenous voices. There is a need to promote cooperation at all levels of governance and across sectors.
The session will focus on the current state of Arctic affairs and the shared vision for the region moving forward. Regardless of differences in cultures, and generations, there is an urgent need for collective thoughts to translate into action to promote the region’s resilience.
Photo: Vegard Stien
Beyond Traditional Security
Ocean Multi-Use for Multi-Gain
The ocean holds vast resources vital to Arctic nations, their communities, and global demand. Many proponents of the ocean economy see the ocean as a space for opportunity that may mitigate environmental impacts from land-based industry. However, such development should care for the Arctic marine environment, which is now threatened by warming waters.
Technology and governance systems for the ocean must be designed to address human needs and preserve or restore environmental health. We must consider how to make the most efficient use of the sea and the businesses that operate there. Arctic waters and coastlines are becoming more crowded, from energy to protected areas to tourism to food production. Infrastructure must serve multiple purposes to benefit the environment and create thriving communities. Legislation needs to encourage sectors to work together, break down silos, and develop regulations to ensure safety and prosperity for all.
The session will focus on multi-use in the ocean, from business innovation to conservation management, using Arctic examples to aim to build the Arctic as a sustainability model. As the world increasingly relies on its oceans, it must also ensure their health for sustainable and reliable resources and increase their efficiency.
Photo: Vegard Stien
The Cost of Going Green
Planetary boundaries have been crossed, and the Arctic is bearing the brunt of the storm. Climate action is costly, totaling trillions of US dollars to solve the climate crisis. The cost of inaction and extreme weather is nonetheless higher. As actions and plans are devised, they must be efficient and effective to reach net-zero goals. How do we get the most significant return on our actions and investments in transitioning to a carbon-neutral society?
The Arctic must play a pivotal role in the ongoing global transition while safeguarding its communities and environment. A greener economy will demand concessions from all of us – we all must change, and so must our systems. How can this change also justly and equitably address the needs of vulnerable groups in the Arctic? Economic systems have been designed to value capital and growth. However, livelihoods, culture, and the environment also have value. How can we incentivize holistic changes?
The session will focus on the economic, political, and environmental shifts the green transition requires and potential concrete steps. A balance must be struck between what we can lose or gain in different pathways to a greener economy.
Photo: Micheile Henderson on Unsplash
Strategies for Regional Capacity
Development and climate change in the Arctic exert increased pressure on local actors such as Indigenous groups and public institutions. To counter these, regions and municipalities require agency and flexibility to keep up. Policy structures demand updating to ensure communities have the capacity to self-organize, play a role internationally, and set their own agenda. As cooperation mechanisms are redefined, how do we revisit organizational structures to benefit the people of the region?
As regional forums like the Barents cooperation change, the funding available for communities is also at risk of being more inaccessible. Limited funding may reinforce the traditional North-South collaborative ventures. Yet the need for reliable funds remains high in order to retain knowledge and build capacity for today and the future. The resilience of the community also requires investments in youth education and engagement. We can draw inspiration and motivation from young leaders to provide additional opportunities for citizen involvement.
In this session, we explore how to build resilience in the Arctic, from policy and structural changes to the building of human capacity. The Arctic must have an effective and durable organizational capacity to participate in global solutions.
Photo: Vegard Stien
Debating Climate Interventions
Climate interventions range from well-established methods like reforestation to large-scale manipulations of the environment, termed ‘geoengineering.’ Like all climate interventions, geoengineering aims to mitigate or reverse the negative impacts of global climate change. Examples of this include ocean fertilization and spraying aerosols in the atmosphere. However, many in the scientific community have sharply questioned such practices.
The need for regulatory frameworks to govern geoengineering is increasing. As more capital is invested and pressure to explore more pervasive geoengineering techniques grows, national and international laws must be developed to carefully address these issues, especially as impacts move beyond jurisdictions.
As climate effects in the Arctic worsen, the need for adaptation in communities is vital. Start-ups have innovated many solutions, which fall under the geoengineering umbrella, to address many ongoing problems. Are they accurate adaptions helping communities? Geoengineering methods address the consequences of climate change, not the root cause. Can geoengineering function as a supplement without replacing cuts in emissions? With so many climate mitigation and adaptation projects requiring funding, prioritizing is necessary.
The session aims to explore the debate of geoengineering, from the science to the ethics to the legal and governance issues, and its ramifications in the Arctic.
Photo: Vegard Stien
