WWF’s expectations for the upcoming Scandinavian chairships of the Arctic Council

While the Arctic Council cooperation currently remains suspended since March of 2022 as a result of the war in Ukraine, work is now underway to hand the chairship over to Norway later this spring. Three Scandinavian countries – Norway, Denmark and Sweden – will follow each other as chair over the next six years, until 2029.

The Arctic Council Strategic Plan for 2021-2030 was adopted in May 2021 to guide the Arctic Council’s work to advance sustainable development, environmental protection, and good governance in the Arctic. Goal 3 in the Arctic Council Strategic Plan is about creating a Healthy Arctic Marine Environment which means promoting conservation and sustainable use of the Arctic marine environment for the benefit of Arctic inhabitants.  These coming years are critical for reaching this Goal.

The accelerating pace of dramatic climate change and nature loss means that there is no time to waste. The adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and the finalisation of the Draft agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (hereinafter referred to as the “future BBNJ Agreement”) provide key tools for national and global work in protecting biodiversity, and needs to be urgently implemented, to resolve both the global climate and nature crises, also in the Arctic. Climate change is by far the most serious threat to Arctic biodiversity, and countries need to live up to their commitments under the Paris Agreement both through international cooperation and national actions.

Connectivity to, from, and across the Arctic Ocean is  also crucial and key to the conservation success of networks of protected and conserved areas and priority Arctic species. As part of maintaining connectivity for marine life, we need to make sure different species can move freely and manage migration corridors between seasons, for Arctic whales, for example. Connectivity is key to creating an effective pan-Arctic network of protected and conserved areas, so the Arctic is connected across national waters, the high seas, and the global ocean.

WWF Arctic Programme stands ready to support the Arctic states and Permanent Participants in promoting these conservation targets and has developed recommendations for milestones for the Arctic Council’s work to ensure their success. Read more about WWF’s expectations on delivering on the Arctic Council Strategic Plan 2021-2030 on conservation management measures in the Arctic Ocean ecosystem.

Jan Dusík, Lead Specialist – Governance, WWF Arctic Programme:

“All eyes will be on Norway, as they are about to assume the chairship of the Arctic Council and pick up the delivery of the long term vision for the Council, the 2021-2030 Strategic Plan. Meanwhile, a lot has happened on the global landscape during the Council’s strategic pause. We call on the Scandinavian trio to bring this all together to ensure adequate protection of the Arctic Ocean.”

Read WWF’s expectations paper (143 kb)

For further information:
Andrea Norgren | Sr. Manager Communications, WWF Arctic Programme | andrea.norgren@wwf.se