Mainstreaming nature in the Arctic

This article originally appeared in The Circle: Arctic Biodiversity: Where is it heading?. The Circle shares perspectives from across the Arctic, and the views expressed here are not necessarily those of WWF. See all Circle issues here.

FOLLOWING COP 26 and the first part of the UN Biodiversity Conference in October, we have an opportunity to look at the Earth’s unfolding nature and climate emergencies through a new lens—one that sharpens our view of the indivisibility of these twin crises. This view is particularly relevant to the Arctic, a changing environment that provides ecosystem services the entire planet needs.

Fortunately, part one of the biodiversity conference, held in Kunming, China, concluded with a number of ground-breaking announcements. The Kunming Declaration is an important sign of support for an ambitious 10-year global framework with clear goals and 21 targets, many with measurable elements. The Kunming Biodiversity Fund, to which China alone pledged US$233 million, is a critical contribution. Japan extended its 10-year biodiversity investment by US$17 million, the European Commission announced plans to double its funding for biodiversity, and the UK assigned a significant part of its increased climate funding toward biodiversity.

Even the private sector is on board, as evidenced by the US$14 trillion pledge from Finance for Biodiversity. The EU’s proposal to ban the tapping of new oil, coal and gas deposits in the Arctic is another sign that we are moving in the right direction.

All this momentum is welcome and critical. We must act quickly to ensure that the world’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic addresses the climate and nature emergency. That means all levels of government should avoid the types of subsidies and incentives that have, in many cases, become a harmful part of our production and consumption habits. For example, the vast majority of current agricultural subsidies are damaging to nature and social conditions.

What we need is an integrated approach that mainstreams biodiversity by factoring it into policies and practices. This approach is particularly timely and necessary in the Arctic, which can be seen as an evolving experiment in multilateralism: eight member countries share the governance of a region that is home to fewer than five million people, but offers globally significant mining, oil and gas reserves, not to mention an increasingly significant trade transportation channel. In this governance, we have a unique opportunity to mainstream biodiversity across all sectors and incorporate Indigenous knowledge.

There is no time left in the Arctic to work in silos. As a leading multilateral platform, the Arctic Council proposes integrated solutions to protect climate, nature, land management, health, food and water and to support political and economic stability. It is clear that separate responses are not viable.

We must also be more ambitious about area-based conservation measures. For example, we should aim to achieve the “30 by 30” goal (to protect 30 per cent of the Earth by 2030) by creating connected ecological corridors that support the migration and adaptation of species and ecosystems. At the same time, we need a precautionary approach for high-impact activities, such as mining and oil and gas extraction. And we need the full and effective engagement of local communities and Indigenous Peoples. In other words, when it comes to biodiversity, we can no longer view the Arctic as an untouchable jewel. In reality, it is—and should continue to be—an asset for its people that develops and changes in response to their needs. It is uniquely positioned to become a model for mainstreaming and harmony with nature if we can co-manage it carefully to ensure its resources are used sustainably.

Ultimately, the Arctic has the size, the resources and the human and institutional capacity to be a bright spot for biodiversity and a laboratory for sustainability. Let’s make sure that happens.

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ELIZABETH MREMA is executive secretary of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.