Canada's Involvement In The Arctic Council
Canada and the Arctic Council
Issue
Canada’s involvement in the Arctic Council should be focused on the development of sustainable infrastructure in the Arctic region, on adhering to international standards regarding climate change, and on developing dialogue between government and indigenous groups.
Positions
Canada benefits from greater involvement of indigenous groups in Arctic policy decisions, as cooperation allows for better decision making
Much of the international community represented in the Arctic Council is aiming to mitigate the effects of climate change to sustain future life in the Arctic
Canada’s actions in the Arctic need to reflect the realities of climate change and the international consensus of their impact on the …show more content…
The working groups in the Arctic Council act as scientific bodies by documenting challenges the Arctic faces and by publishing scientific reports regarding the effects of climate change in the Arctic. These effects greatly impact the Arctic, as even minor changes in annual temperatures can impact Arctic life. Increasing temperatures result in the loss of Arctic fisheries, increased forest fire threats and storm damage to coastal communities. Oceans in the Arctic “are acidifying twice as fast as average,” interfering with the survival of shellfish and other marine species. A study done by the Arctic Council found that “sea-ice in summer months has declined by 15-20% over the past thirty years” . The people most impacted by these harmful effects are those living in the Arctic. These Arctic communities rely on an “informal, subsistence economy” where goods like clothes and food come from hunting and fishing. The retreat of sea ice and climate related changes in the Arctic marine ecosystem “bears implications for subsistence livelihoods” that the Arctic people rely on for both survival and prosperity. It is the responsibility of Canada to support these northern citizens by understanding the problems they face and to enact policy reflective of the Arctic Council’s
Issue
Canada’s involvement in the Arctic Council should be focused on the development of sustainable infrastructure in the Arctic region, on adhering to international standards regarding climate change, and on developing dialogue between government and indigenous groups.
Positions
Canada benefits from greater involvement of indigenous groups in Arctic policy decisions, as cooperation allows for better decision making
Much of the international community represented in the Arctic Council is aiming to mitigate the effects of climate change to sustain future life in the Arctic
Canada’s actions in the Arctic need to reflect the realities of climate change and the international consensus of their impact on the …show more content…
The working groups in the Arctic Council act as scientific bodies by documenting challenges the Arctic faces and by publishing scientific reports regarding the effects of climate change in the Arctic. These effects greatly impact the Arctic, as even minor changes in annual temperatures can impact Arctic life. Increasing temperatures result in the loss of Arctic fisheries, increased forest fire threats and storm damage to coastal communities. Oceans in the Arctic “are acidifying twice as fast as average,” interfering with the survival of shellfish and other marine species. A study done by the Arctic Council found that “sea-ice in summer months has declined by 15-20% over the past thirty years” . The people most impacted by these harmful effects are those living in the Arctic. These Arctic communities rely on an “informal, subsistence economy” where goods like clothes and food come from hunting and fishing. The retreat of sea ice and climate related changes in the Arctic marine ecosystem “bears implications for subsistence livelihoods” that the Arctic people rely on for both survival and prosperity. It is the responsibility of Canada to support these northern citizens by understanding the problems they face and to enact policy reflective of the Arctic Council’s