Climate struggle in the Arctic needs Russian help: A. Minter

Thanks to climate change, wildfires in the Arctic are a growing source of destruction and carbon emissions on top of the world. Thanks to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Arctic Council — the world’s foremost diplomatic forum for policymaking in far-north Arctic communities — may not have the capacity to coordinate studies, preparations and responses this year.

Seven of the eight nations that make up the tip they condemned the Russian invasion two weeks ago and paused cooperation on most of their work. As for collateral damage, international cooperation on the Arctic wildfires may seem insignificant compared to the carnage in Ukraine.

But as the climate warms, the role of the Arctic in the health of the environment and the global economy cannot be overlooked. A warmer Arctic will alter the climate, ocean currents and fisheries. Russia, which has 53% of the Arctic coastline and 70% of its population, will have to play a key role in the response. For now, the other Arctic countries and communities must continue to plan and respond to a warmer future.

For most of history, there was no need for international governance in the Arctic. Indigenous groups were widely dispersed and did not participate in the types of large-scale resource extraction that generate international friction. Border nation-states might aspire to exploit nearby Arctic resources, but prohibitive weather and conditions ensured they would not come into conflict with Arctic neighbors.

That thinking began to change in the 1970s as science and technology made the Arctic more accessible. Climate change and the toxic legacy of Soviet-era waste emerged as major concerns.

A commercial interest developed in the business opportunities that a warmer Arctic could offer, from shipping to mining. In 1996, the eight Arctic states—Canada, Denmark (which includes Greenland), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the United States, and the Soviet Union—together with six indigenous groups, established the Arctic Council to address environmental protection and sustainable development.

The Council lacks the status of a formal international organization like the European Union or the World Trade Organization, meaning that it acts by informal consensus of its members. Quietly, it has produced some remarkably useful agreements, including legally binding agreements on search and rescue, and oil spill preparedness and response.

A 2018 pact designed to enhance cross-border scientific cooperation has proven particularly useful, spurring research efforts across the region, ranging from a recently published inventory of Arctic biodiversity to long-term assessments of the Arctic. impact of black carbon soot on public health. It also coordinates a rich and diverse range of climate change research.

Less than three weeks have passed since the Council’s work was halted, so the impact is unclear. But a long hiatus would surely be troublesome.

Scientists fear that a number of research priorities, including monitoring wildfires, thawing permafrost and methane emissions, could be disrupted by a prolonged break in data collection and sharing.

“Some aspects of climate change, like working with black carbon, could be severely affected”said Evan T Bloomsenior member of Polar Institute the Wilson Center in Washington and former director of Office of Polar and Oceanic Affairs of the United States Department of State. “It’s very difficult to do that without Russia’s involvement, especially if you want government-level action.”.

Not all Arctic research involves Russia. Collaboration between international researchers will continue in facilities such as the International Arctic Research Center in Fairbanks, Alaska. States and indigenous communities in the region should use the pause to reallocate resources and prioritize research that can be accomplished without Russia.

But longer-term efforts to address a warming arctic climate and related problems will require Russia’s involvement. That will not resume unless Russia ceases hostilities in Ukraine. At that point, Bloom predicted, Russia will be eager to regain its leading role in Arctic affairs.

“Russia sees itself as a great arctic nation”Bloom said. “It is fundamental to its definition. You don’t want to stand out in a negative way, perpetually.”. The Arctic Council should recognize this aspiration and not take steps that permanently exclude Russia from international dialogue and research in the north, or give the impression that its involvement is not valued.

The war will eventually end, but climate change and its impact on the Arctic will not. To address them, the world will need to include the most important resident of the region.