February 19, 2014
Arctic Summit to Address Competing Interests
BY: Justine Hausheer
The Arctic is one of the world’s most spectacular ecosystems, but it’s also one of the most at-risk. Climate change is already changing this ice-filled landscape, while countries and corporations compete for a its rich natural resources, untapped sources of energy, and emerging trade routes.
On March 4, The Economist is hosting its Arctic Summit in London, where policy-makers, CEOs, and thought leaders will gather to discuss how we can responsibly governed this shared resource. This year’s speakers will include polar explorer Pen Hadow, Greenland Prime Minister Aleqa Hammond, Economist political editor James Astill, and Sir Brian Hoskins, director of Imperial College London’s Grantham Institute for Climate Change.
At Oceana, we work hard to protect the Arctic’s diverse marine ecosystem and the subsistence life of its peoples. But if we want to make real progress, all of the intersecting threats to the Arctic—climate change, industrial fishing, shipping, pollution, and oil and gas development—need to be addressed together.
We commend The Economist and all of the Arctic Summit participants for taking on such an important and critical set of issues. Stay tuned for an update from our own Mike Levine, who will be representing Oceana at the conference.