As a result of climate change and the consequent more favourable navigational conditions in the Arctic regions, there has been a lot of interest in the use of the Northern Sea Route for shipping. Recently China also expanded its New Silk Road Initiative to include the Northern Sea Route and with an increasing number of cruise vessels, commercial ships and vast natural resources to be exploited, shipping through the Arctic has captured the attention of policy makers, industry and the imagination of the general public.
The Arctic, however, remains an inhospitable and difficult environment for shipping, it is a particularly delicate ecosystem and the communities in its sparsely populated regions have often struggled to survive. To what extent will we see a large increase in shipping in the Arctic? What consequences will this have for global supply chains? What conditions should be put in place to ensure a sustainable exploitation of the Arctic? And what development opportunities can Arctic shipping bring to these regions?
These and other topics will be discussed in a symposium at the Kühne Logistics University (KLU) in Hamburg organised by the Hapag-Lloyd Center for Shipping and Global Logistics (CSGL). The symposium will bring together experts in the areas of shipping, political sciences and geography to investigate new perspectives for arctic shipping developments. Andreas Raspotnik will discuss the European Union’s interests and initiatives regarding Arctic maritime transportation.
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