WWF meeting leaders at Arctic Frontiers conference

Arctic Frontiers, taking place in Tromsø from January 30th to February 2nd, 2023, gathers Arctic leaders to discuss climate change, geopolitics, business development and innovation in the Arctic.

WWF will be present, participating in various discussions touching on important issues facing the Arctic: the climate crisis, managing ecosystems, adaptation, food security and fossil fuel extraction. The WWF sessions are outlined below.

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30 January 13.30 – 15.00,  Hybrid event: “Adaptive Management of Ecosystems using Interdisciplinary and System-Science Approaches”

Melanie Lancaster, Senior Specialist, Arctic Species for WWF Arctic Programme, will present new work to chart a way forward for Arctic ecosystems and biodiversity. Rapidly changing temperatures, sea ice, snow, and permafrost will continue to drive shifts and disruptions of habitats, along with changes in the ranges and abundance of important species. Despite the availability of climate projections, there is a lack of activities to proactively manage Arctic ecosystems. Representing the Arctic Conservation Forecast (ARCON4) project team, Melanie will talk about the project’s scientific, interdisciplinary approach to describe plausible Arctic ecological futures for the 21st century under different warming pathways.

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30 January 15.30 – 17.00, In-Person Only side event: “Making use of Arctic science”

Vicki Lee Wallgren, Director, WWF Arctic Programme, will reflect on the science to policy process regarding climate change and biodiversity loss.  WWF’s conservation work is grounded in science and sound public policy, based on science, is critical for our work. WWF works with partners across all sectors, including governments, multilateral institutions and research institutions to secure protection for nature in the Arctic. Vicki will discuss the importance of making science accessible to policy makers and the public in general as we need all hands on deck to make the transformation needed to reach the 1.5 degree goal as well as reverse  biodiversity loss.

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31 January 15.45-17.15, Hybrid event: “’Assembling the valuable and vulnerable North”

Gustaf Lind, Secretary General, WWF Sweden, will hold a keynote speech looking at the Arctic as the peaceful and conflict free zone it has been for the past 30 years. How has the situation evolved? What is the state of collaboration between Arctic States and  Arctic Indigenous Peoples? A prosperous Arctic means safeguarding Indigenous Peoples’ rights, and creating the  conditions for the preservation and development of cultural traditions, languages and livelihoods. Gustaf will look at how reaching the economic potential in the Arctic comes with tradeoffs and the need for close collaboration between all actors all the while preserving unique Arctic ecosystems, a prerequisite for the region.

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31 January 19.30-20.30, Side event:  “Changes in the Arctic – how do they affect Finland´s Arctic Policy?”

Liisa Rohweder, Secretary General, WWF Finland, will give WWFs perspective on the challenges facing Arctic policy and cooperation as the war in Ukraine continues. Despite turbulent geopolitics, climate change remains the biggest threat to vital Arctic ecosystems and Arctic inhabitants at the moment. There are many Short-term setbacks in the fight to limit global warming since many research and collaboration projects have been put on pause and a focus towards fossil fuels is stronger given the  energy security situation. However the war in Ukraine has led  to a stronger push for a  green transition and moving toward more sustainable forms of energy in the longer term. While cooperation in the Arctic has indeed become more complicated, the ecosystems of the Arctic and traditional territories of Arctic peoples still transcend political boundaries.WWF is working to keep lines of communication open especially in regard to research and Indigenous rights.

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1 February 9.00 – 10.15, In-Person Only side event: “The extreme is now”

Vicki Lee Wallgren, Director, WWF Arctic Programme, will discuss how Arctic communities cope with, and adapt to the harsh Arctic environments. The Arctic is currently experiencing large-scale changes, which are projected to grow in scope and scale due to the rapidly changing climate and industrial development. The Arctic’s unique ecosystems provide food, livelihoods and cultural identity for the 4 million people living in the region.  Maintaining a healthy and diverse web of life in the Arctic, from zooplankton to fish, whales and seabirds, contributes to the well-being of nature and people around the world. This session is targeted at students and young academics with the purpose of mobilizing and building an understanding for the climate crisis in this impacted region of the world.

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1 February 13.30 – 15.00, Big picture session: “Food on the move” (hybrid event)

Vicki Lee Wallgren, Director, WWF Arctic Programme, will be part of a high-level panel discussing an issue which is becoming more important in the Arctic: food security.

Globally important fish stocks found in Arctic waters help feed people around the world and provide livelihoods for Arctic peoples. But Arctic fish species and their habitats are vulnerable to overexploitation and climate change. Vicki will discuss how climatic change affects the distribution and diversity of fish in the Arctic. Sub-arctic species such as Atlantic cod, salmon and mackerel are pushing north with unknown effects on Arctic ecosystems.

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