Sustainable Ocean Management
Ultimately, the Arctic nations’ ability to lead by example will be essential for establishing credibility and inspiring others to act to prevent the Arctic becoming a global trash bin.
Arctic Shipping
As sea ice declines, the expansion of shipping activity heightens risks to Arctic ecosystems and communities. Our research examines strategies for mitigating environmental risks from shipping.
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Policy BriefsArctic Shipping: Trends, Challenges and Ways Forward
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Turning the Tide on Plastic Pollution
The buildup of plastic in the Arctic Ocean has raised serious environmental and economic concerns among Arctic residents.
Over the last decade, the amount of plastic debris in the Arctic has increased dramatically as shrinking ice coverage caused by climate change has allowed unprecedented amounts of plastic debris to flow into the Arctic Ocean.
In some locations, Arctic sea ice contains higher concentrations of microplastics than in the infamous Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Policy and Action on Plastic Pollution
In October 2019, the Arctic Initiative and the Wilson Center’s Polar Institute co-hosted a workshop with the Icelandic Chairmanship of the Arctic Council at Harvard Kennedy School, convening over 60 global thought leaders, diverse stakeholders, and subject matter experts to begin developing a framework for tackling Arctic marine plastic pollution as part of the Icelandic Chairmanship’s ambitious agenda.
An Influential Report
This vital early convening resulted in the creation of a subsequent report, also entitled “Policy and Action on Plastic in the Arctic,” which was co-published by the Arctic Initiative and the Polar Institute in April 2020.
The report has served as a valuable resource to the Arctic Council's Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment Working Group.
Said Magnús Jóhannesson, the Arctic Council's special coordinator on plastic pollution and marine litter, "Most of the strategy action recommendations from the Belfer Center report are on the table in the discussion for the development of the regional action plan.
A New Regional Action Plan
The workshop report's recommendations contributed to the Arctic Council’s 2021 Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter. The report was also featured in the keynote of the 2021 International Symposium on Plastics in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic Region, the first-ever global conference on addressing Arctic marine plastic pollution. The Arctic Initiative served as a Symposium Partner.
