Extreme heatwave in Siberia

A current extreme heatwave in Siberia is bringing new record temperatures daily. Heat records are being broken... READ MORE

UPDATE Greenland Heatwave

The early warning we issued on May 25th for the first heatwave in #Greenland has occurred on May 31st to June 1st with a temperature anomaly event and high ice melt... READ MORE

NEW – Near Real-time Pan-Arctic Alerts (ARP-PAAS)

The Arctic Risk Platform has a new Pan-Arctic Alert System (PAAS) using operational weather forecasting, satellite and ground observations to deliver updates of a real-time view of unfolding climate extremes. This is... READ MORE

GREENLAND HEATWAVE FORTHCOMING

The first moderate heatwave is forecast for Greenland around June 1,... READ MORE

One of Greenland’s largest glaciers is actively melting from beneath

Below the surface, the Petermann Glacier, one of Greenland's largest, is actively melting--from... READ MORE

COUNTDOWN

CO2 Budget Depletion

UN SUSTAINABILITY DEVELOPMENT GOALS

SDG 12 - RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION & PRODUCTION

 

The melting Arctic is encouraging a race to gain access to emerging natural resources. The Arctic already supplies the world with roughly 10% of its oil and 25% of its natural gas. It is estimated to hold 22% of the Earth’s undiscovered oil and natural gas reserves. These reserves must remain untouched and banks cannot keep financing this. Historically, the Arctic has been treated as a wasteland for nuclear testing, leading to widespread radioactive contamination.  

GLOBAL

Worldwide consumption and production — driving forces of the global economy — rest on the use of the natural environment and resources. Arctic warming is destroying global climatic patterns necessary for maintaining some of these resources. To address climate change, businesses and governments must take the lead in cutting emissions and taking bold action. Today, not even one-tenth of the global economy is circular, meaning we are wasting most of our precious resources and living well beyond our planetary means (TRVST, 2021). 

ARCTIC

In the melting Arctic, countries, communities and businesses are racing to gain access to new natural resources. In Greenland, the towns of Qaqortoq, Nanortalik and Narsaq are facing increased mineral exploration as shipping opportunities and access to minerals improve (Hansen and Burkins, 2020). Surveys across Greenland reveal deposits of diamond, quartz, ruby, topaz, sapphire, amazonite, chromium, cobalt, niobium, and tungsten, making the island abundant with gemstones and minerals (Innovation News Network, 2022). To leverage their economic future and secure independence from Denmark, many residents and actors of Greenland claim to be in need of new and larger airports to, in part, facilitate commerce. Many climate activists have taken a stand against constructing new airports, highlighting conflicting interests between local economies and climate activists.  

To keep global warming below +1.5C, banks must stop financing fossil fuel development, especially in the Arctic. Currently, every major US bank has already joined the list of nearly 30 major banks worldwide that have committed not to fund oil and gas development in the Arctic. In the US, this includes Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citi, and Morgan Stanley. We must hold these banks to these pledges. Pressure on the oil industry is likely to increase thanks to growing regulation and shareholder pressure – like the Bank of America shareholder resolution asking for answers on financing Arctic exploration. 

Historically, the Arctic was seen as wasteland and nations dumped nuclear radiation and general rubbish. Cold waters and lack of infrastructure hamper the clean-up of the now-contaminated lands and waters, in part due to pollution from mining. This heavy metal pollution is creating toxic food chains (Discovering the Arctic, n.d.). It is likewise challenging to adequately address oil spills and general dumping from the increase in shipping across the Arctic. 

BACK TO SDG PAGE

ARCTIC RISK INDICATORS

The following gauges show up-to-date data regarding key indicators in the Arctic. These indicators clearly point to the crisis at hand.

Greenland rate of ice loss
4.5 hundred thousands l/s
on average in 1986-2015
4.5 tons per second
on average in 1986-2015
Worldwide number of disasters
265 disasters
more events in 2022 in comparison to 1970s
183 disasters
more events in 2022 in comparison to 1980s
100 disasters
more events in 2022 in comparison to 1990s
Arctic Sea Ice Extent
605,499 km²
below 1981-2010 average on 04-Jun-2023
233,783 mi²
below 1981-2010 average on 04-Jun-2023
Arctic Amplification
2.82 times
faster than global average in last 30 years
2.57 times
faster than global average in last 50 years
2.54 times
faster than global average in last 70 years
Arctic Wildfire emissions
0.60 megatonnes CO₂e
CO₂e emissions in 2023 so far
Arctic Air Quality (PM2.5)
5.50 microgram per cubic meter
on 05-Jun-2023