Opportunities for Multilateral Cooperation on Climate Change in the Arctic

In addition to the eight Arctic member states (Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Russia, and the United States), the Council established the unique role of “Permanent Participant,” which provides Arctic Indigenous Peoples with a voice in the decisions and activities of the Council. [...] While military security is not within the mandate of the Arctic Council, the environmental and human security issues emerging because of climate change combined with increased global interest in the region have expanded the range of policy issues on the Council’s agenda and the number and diversity of actors involved in its work. [...] Opportunities for Multilateral Cooperation on Climate Change in the Arctic | Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center | August 2023 2 The benefits of engaging with and contributing to the climate-related work of the Arctic Council can be broken into three main categories: • Research to understand climate change and inform mitigation. [...] The Council’s Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response Working Group (EPPR) provides an important mechanism to coordinate safety- and emergency-related services and programs in the Arctic, including support for two regional agreements negotiated under the auspices of the Arctic Council: the Agreement on Cooperation on Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue in the Arctic (2011) and the. [...] This brief was originally prepared for and presented at the Harvard/DHS Workshop on Impacts and Policy Challenges from Rapid Climate Change in Alaska, co-hosted by Harvard Kennedy School’s Arctic Initiative and the Science and Technology Directorate of the U.