The forgotten Arctic: A crisis of global inaction
The Arctic is bearing the brunt of climate change and the stakes could not be higher. Yet the Arctic often remains an afterthought in international treaties designed to address climate and nature crises and support adaptation. This issue of The Circle explores how and why global climate governance must find a way to prioritize the Arctic. It looks at international mechanisms, such as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and how governance has both supported and missed the mark for the Arctic. This issue also explore how treaties and intonational cooperation can help protect Arctic nature.
Stories from this issue
Better governance could protect the Arctic—and the world
News from the Arctic (2025.02)
Why geoengineering isn’t the answer to climate change
Business as usual will leave the Arctic on thin ice
Including Indigenous perspectives in EU climate adaptation work
Using the law to hold high-emitting states to account
The pollution polar vortex
Protecting biodiversity in the Arctic Ocean—now
What will it take to phase out fossil fuels?
Including Indigenous Knowledge in global climate governance
The back cover
© United Nations Photo, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
The Kyoto Protocol 20 years on
The Kyoto Protocol, the first international treaty to cut greenhouse gas emissions, came into force on February 16, 2005. Adopted at COP3 in 1997, it laid the groundwork for the 2015 Paris Agreement. At its height, the protocol had 192 parties.
More from The Circle
The Arctic in the age of tech
Navigating a changing Arctic
Arctic clean-up: Turning the tide
Making waves: Getting it right for Arctic whales
About The Circle magazine
Quarterly
WWF Arctic Programme publishes the magazine four times per year and each issue zeroes in on a theme and presents a range of stories.
Actions
It covers the key climate risks are for the Arctic—and what researchers and decision-makers in the eight Arctic nations are doing.
Perspectives
We aim to hear from contributors in a selection of Arctic countries—from youth to Indigenous communities to policymakers to scientists.
Themes
Stay informed about the environmental and development issues affecting wildlife, ecosystems and people in the Arctic today.