Oil and Gas

The Arctic already supplies the world with roughly 10 per cent of its oil and 25 per cent of its natural gas, mostly from onshore sources. It is also estimated to hold 22 per cent of the Earth’s undiscovered oil and natural gas reserves.

But those reserves need to remain untouched. Oil and gas extraction disturbs ecosystems, endangers wildlife and threatens the global climate system.

Why are we concerned?

As the Arctic sea ice shrinks and the region becomes more accessible, governments and industries are looking at new opportunities for oil and gas exploration and production. Increasing production worsens the climate challenges already affecting the region. Besides adding greenhouse gas emissions, oil and gas exploration, development and production directly harm and degrade Arctic nature.

How do oil and gas development threaten the Arctic?

The climate emergency will intensify

Fossil fuels are the greatest contributor to the climate crisis and are currently responsible for 64 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Warming almost four times as fast as the global average, the region’s role as the global refrigerator and vault for ice and carbon will diminish or end, driving rising sea levels and temperatures higher, acidifying the oceans and causing severe weather events worldwide.

Species and ecosystems are at risk

As the climate crisis progresses, the Arctic’s unique biodiversity and intact ecosystems face an uncertain future. Offshore oil exploration, drilling and production threaten the fish and marine mammals that Indigenous Peoples in the Arctic rely on, and the infrastructure related to these industries, such as pipelines, can negatively impact other species and their habitats.

Spill response is slow and clean-up impossible

The Arctic’s marine ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to oil spills from blowouts, pipeline leaks or shipping accidents. The lack of infrastructure and remoteness of the area mean it can take days or weeks to respond to a spill, and clean-up can be ineffective. Local environments can be ruined for decades, effectively wiping out local populations of certain species and affecting local people’s livelihoods and food security.

Solutions

Stop fossil fuel expansion

Despite the urgent need to limit global warming to 1.5°C, major producers like the US, Canada, Russia, and Norway are expanding production, imperiling vulnerable Arctic ecosystems. Arctic governments must cease issuing new oil and gas licenses, ban exploration for reserves, and halt infrastructure development. A global cap on production should be enforced long before 2050, shared by governments, companies, organizations, and individuals. Transitioning from fossil fuels requires careful consideration of local and national contexts to safeguard Arctic biodiversity and community well-being.

More on fossil fuel production in the Arctic

© Kseniia Iartceva /Arctic Council Secretariat

Switch to renewable energy

We urgently need to transition towards a 100 per cent renewable future by developing clean energy sources. Governments need to finance renewable resources for Arctic communities through programmes and incentives, including by redirecting existing subsidies for fossil fuel production and consumption and by promoting international cooperation to advance renewable energy provision.

Investments in renewable energy have the potential to bring about great opportunities—from exciting technologies to new commercial and employment opportunities.

Financial institutions should align their investments with Paris Agreement pathways and should decline to invest in companies and Arctic projects that are not in keeping with the 1.5°C threshold.

Protect Arctic nature and biodiversity

The Arctic, warming rapidly and drawing industrial attention, requires space to adapt to this shifting environment. Protecting Arctic nature and biodiversity is vital to bolstering Arctic resilience against ongoing changes.

Arctic nations must create expansive and well-managed networks of Protected and Conserved Areas across the Arctic Ocean. These areas safeguard iconic wildlife and cultures, aiding to protect them from the harsh effects of climate change and securing the Arctic’s legacy for generations to come.

What is the WWF Arctic Programme doing?

Advocating for a reduction in oil and gas production

WWF advocates for a reduction in oil and gas production and a stop in the issue of new permits and licenses. Significantly ramping up climate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 is the only way to dodge the most severe consequences of runaway climate change. Yet as it stands, governments around the globe currently plan to produce twice as much fossil fuel by 2030 than is compatible with the Paris goal.

Our research brief, Missing the Target, highlights the unsustainable levels of fossil fuel production in the Arctic. The Circle magazine’s issue Leave it in the ground: Arctic resources should stay where they are covers several issues around Arctic resource extraction.

Research brief The Circle, Leave it in the ground

Implementing ArcNet – a conservation framework

ArcNet, an Arctic Ocean Network of Priority Areas for Conservation, is a readymade framework that outlines key areas for conservation across the entire Arctic Ocean. By designing a network of priority areas, ArcNet helps strengthen the resilience of Arctic biodiversity.

By 2030, Arctic nations have committed to setting aside 30 per cent of land and ocean to help safeguard nature. Protecting areas in international waters will also be possible once the High Seas Treaty has entered into force.

This framework, complete with a map, a guide, tools and methods will help Arctic nations fulfill their commitments.