A Senior Arctic Officials' (SAO) Meeting of the Arctic Council (AC) focused on, among other issues, two cross-cutting themes, namely climate change and resilience, and future AC's work on oil and gas.
In particular, the AC considered: the potential effects of the Paris Agreement on future work of the Council; reducing emissions of short-lived climate pollutants, such as black carbon and methane (BCM), also in the oil and gas sector; and operationalizing the One Health initiative of the AC's Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG).
17 March 2016: A Senior Arctic Officials’ (SAO) Meeting of the Arctic Council (AC) focused on, among other issues, two cross-cutting themes, namely climate change and resilience, and future AC’s work on oil and gas. In particular, the AC considered: the potential effects of the Paris Agreement on future work of the Council; reducing emissions of short-lived climate pollutants, such as black carbon and methane (BCM), also in the oil and gas sector; and operationalizing the One Health initiative of the AC’s Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG).
The One Health initiative of the AC’s SDWG seeks to forge collaborations across scientific disciplines and Arctic communities in order to strengthen resilience of the Arctic inhabitants through an enhanced understanding of climate change impacts on health risks to people, animals and the environment.
On oil and gas, the AC discussed, inter alia, trends in Arctic activities, changes in conditions and risks for spills, and increased risk of search and rescue (SAR) in Arctic conditions.
At the meeting, Halldór Thorgeirsson, UNFCCC Director for Strategy, spoke on the Paris Agreement on climate change and its implications for the Arctic. He briefed the Arctic Council on how the Paris Agreement aims to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change. In relation to the Arctic Council’s contribution to the Paris Agreement, Thorgeirsson outlined three principles he suggested should guide its work, namely: be motivated by a strong sense of urgency, combined with equally strong commitment for the longer term; remain positive and pursue the immense opportunities presented by low-emission, climate resilient development pathways; and promote innovation and demonstrate leadership.
According to the UNFCCC, the Council’s work on climate change and resilience has taken on added urgency in light of the fact that the Arctic has warmed twice as fast as the global average. It is projected that the effects of such changes in the Arctic will have profound local, regional and global implications.
While the BCM persist in the atmosphere for shorter periods than CO2, they trap significantly more heat on a per-unit basis. In addition, black carbon that falls on Arctic ice or snow reduces reflectivity and increases heat absorption, further accelerating melting and warming.
The SAO meeting was held in Fairbanks, US, from 16-17 March 2016. The AC comprises the eight Arctic States and six permanent participants representing indigenous peoples of the Arctic. Representatives of 12 observer States, nine intergovernmental and inter-parliamentary organizations, and 11 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) attend AC’s meetings as observers. [Arctic Council SAO Meeting Webpage] [UNFCCC Press Release]