The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of October 28, 2019

Proposed Russian State-Owned Shipping Operator To Subsidize Container Shipping in Arctic

Even with the recent surge in Arctic shipments, the Northern Sea Route has attracted minimal interest from global container shipping companies. The Russian Ministry for the Development of the Far East is now exploring the possibility of a state-run operator that effectively will subsidize container shipping along the route. A multi-billion dollar plan addresses the high insurance costs and need for specialized ice-class vessels most major shipping companies are hesitant to take on. Instead, shipping companies can avoid the dangerous, ice-covered waters, relying on the state-run operator to navigate the riskier areas (High North News).

Take 1: With record-high container shipping along Russia’s northern coastline, it is easy to assume that container shipping via the Northern Sea Route also is flourishing; however, shipping has been almost non-existent in the area. In fact, the last record of shipping along the Route was a scale test voyage run in September 2018. Just recently, three major shipping companies have stepped away from Arctic shipping, as a shorter route was not enticing enough to brave the extreme conditions. Despite the slow start, developing the Northern Sea Route is still a national priority for President Putin and Russia.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Wins a Second Time in Canadian Federal Elections

The Canadian Federal elections come to a close with Justin Trudeau and the Liberal party winning their second government in a row, albeit with fewer votes and seats than last time. Prior to the Federal elections, Trudeau’s government released a new Arctic Policy Framework discussing improvements to health, infrastructure, and economic development in the North. The proposal has been under heavy scrutiny as there is no clear plan on how these ambitious goals will be pursued. Furthermore, while Trudeau’s campaign touched on many of the issues relevant to the North, such as indigineous rights and climate change, the topics were brought up with the focus on other provinces (High North News, High North News, EOTA).

Take 2: Residents of Canada’s North have long complained about policies, such as the Carbon Tax, that unproportionally target their lifestyles. Despite only emitting 0.3 % of Canada’s overall greenhouse emissions, the implementation of a carbon tax most harshly affects the residents in the North who reside in diesel-dependent communities. In this year’s elections, only Trudeau visited the territories, and he only visited Nunavut, the only territory to not re-elect a Liberal candidate. Nunavut elected the New Democratic Party’s candidate, Mumilaaq Qaqqaq, a 25 year old Inuk woman. While the general consensus seems to be that this will be yet another year where pressing issues in the Canadian Arctic will be overlooked, hopefully a combination of a new Parliament member in Qaqqaq, along with Trudeau expressing concern for issues relevant for the North will spur genuine change in the region.

Anchorage Unveils Climate Plan Calling 80 Percent Emission Cuts by 2050

The Municipality of Anchorage has unveiled their 106-page document on how the city will remain resilient in the face of climate change, outlining everything from transportation recommendations to emission reduction targets. Residential and private commercial entities consume 79 percent of all the energy used in the municipality, so an emphasis has been placed on ways to partner with non-governmental entities in hopes of incentivizing environmentally friendly measures (EOTA, EOTA).

Take 3: While it is inspiring to see such a strong push for climate change action in Anchorage, it is important to note that with any plan, it is the follow-through that will ultimately determine its impact. With energy supply being a major component of emissions reduction, Anchorage is pursuing renewable energy but an overwhelming majority of the municipality is still powered by fossil fuels. Large-scale infrastructure changes will need to be implemented to achieve the lofty goals set forth by the climate plan. However, it is encouraging that the release of this plan comes on the heels of President Donald Trump signing a bill sponsored by Alaskan U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan to tackle the problem of plastic trash in the world’s oceans. Hopefully this momentum for meaningful change will carry forward as the climate plan is put into action.

Norway and Russia Celebrate Friendship and War Victory Despite Recent Tensions

The Prime Minister of Norway, Eriksen Søreide, and Russia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov, put their countries’ political differences aside to commemorate the Soviet liberation of Kirkenes. The Norwegian border town was once strategically important toHitler’s bridgehead in the advance on Murmansk; however, on the 25th of October 75 years ago, Soviet forces pushed Nazi German troops out. At the ceremony, the victorious Soviet troops were honored and fallen comrades were remembered. Neither Søreide nor Lavrov mentioned Arctic developments like climate change and militarization of the Northern Sea Route (Barents Observer).

Take 4: Despite recent criticism from Norway’s Prime Minister regarding Russia’s military buildup in the North, political differences were set aside to commemorate a historically significant moment. The success of independent nations is often reliant on mutually beneficial collaboration with other countries. It is fascinating, somewhat refreshing, and a true reflection of the human spirit to see tragic historical occurrences uniting the nations despite current tensions in the region.

Iceland to Host International Symposium on Plastics in Arctic and sub-Arctic

During Iceland’s rotating two-year chairmanship for the Arctic Council, they have placed an emphasis on addressing marine litter issues. Early on in its chairmanship, it designated Magnus Johannesson, the former director of the Arctic Council Secretariat, as a special coordinator on plastics to help coordinate the forum’s Working Groups. An international symposium on plastics in the Arctic will be held in April 2020 to share best practices and feedback into the work of the Arctic Council (EOTA).

Take 5: Due to the surge in plastic consumption in recent decades, research concerning plastic has simply not been able to keep up. We are at the stage where we need to simultaneously understand the fundamental effect plastics have on the Arctic and larger ecosystem, while discussing preventative measures and methods to manage existing plastic usage. Conferences such as these are important as they educate, spur conversation, and hopefully will serve as a catalyst to action.