Arctic connected – 30 years of action

In 2022, the WWF Arctic Programme turned 30. But when it was started three decades ago, many people around the world didn’t have a clear idea of what the Arctic was, or what challenges it was facing. WWF’s Arctic Programme was created in 1992 to change this, by raising awareness and working to reduce threats facing the Arctic—such as air pollution, oil spills, accidents and mining—and sustainably preserve its rich biodiversity.

Over the years, the programme has helped bring about many conservation “wins.” These include creating Vatnajökull National Park in 1997, which covers 14% of Iceland, and adapting the International Code for Ships operating in Polar regions in 2017. In 2021, a new agreement, signed by nine countries and the European Union, came into effect. This agreement temporarily places the Central Arctic Ocean off limits to commercial fisheries—until there is understanding of the ecosystems there and potential for fisheries.

There has long been a sense of community in the Arctic. For many years, the Arctic Council, the region’s high-level intergovernmental forum, succeeded in maintaining cooperation on a number of crucial issues. Through this council and the efforts of its various working groups, task forces and expert groups, three legally binding agreements about search and rescue, oil spill response and scientific research collaboration have been signed by Arctic States and two new platforms developed for collaboration.

Working to protect the Arctic in a changing climate

Now, 30 years after the launch of the programme, the situation has changed. Today, the war in Ukraine is creating a humanitarian crisis that continues to shock and sadden the world, but one that is also preventing the Arctic cooperation that is vital for preserving and protecting ecosystems in the region.

The melting of Arctic sea ice is opening up new economic opportunities, such as extending oil and gas drilling in the Arctic and shipping along the Northern Sea Route. The risk of environmental deregulation in Russia and the prospect of the militarization of the Arctic have also become dark clouds over the area. But the most serious threat facing the region and the people who live there is unquestionably climate change. The Arctic has been altered by human activity more than any area on Earth—and if we are going to secure its future we need to act quickly.

Shining a light on the threats facing the Arctic today

At the WWF Arctic Programme, we are committed to working towards our vision for a well-managed, biodiverse, and resilient Arctic.

To this end, we have developed a series of animated films that highlight the biggest threats currently facing the Arctic. We are also calling on all Arctic governments to set aside their national interests and band together with Arctic communities to use science-based, Indigenous and local knowledge to make concrete changes.

Together, we must put a stop to climate change and fight to keep the increase in global temperature rise below 1.5°C, the point at which the most catastrophic climate impacts in the Arctic will become irreparable. We must also focus on being nature-positive and combatting biodiversity loss in the Arctic and around the world—because we can’t win our battle against climate change without halting nature loss and preserving nature’s ability to sequester carbon.

What the Arctic will look like in another 30 years will be shaped by the decisions and actions we take today. If we work together, we can still avoid an Arctic catastrophe and secure a future for its nature, peoples and the rest of humanity who rely on it.