Will Russia sanctions freeze Asia’s climate change research on the Arctic?
- A suspension of the Arctic Council’s activities amid the Ukraine war means research collaborations between polar nations and Asian states like Singapore, India and Japan, will be put on ice, analysts say
- Amid concerns over issues such as the effects of melting ice on global shipping routes and trade, one observer says a Euro-Asian-Arctic arc of cooperation may be needed
As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine halts research activities in the Arctic region, Asia’s bid to tackle climate change will become a casualty, analysts say, which may push them to turn to non-governmental organisations to address environmental issues.
A week after Moscow invaded Ukraine, seven of the eight Arctic states registered their opposition to the war by announcing they would suspend their participation in all meetings of the Arctic Council and its subsidiary bodies.
The premier forum for Arctic governance includes Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States.
Nikolay Korchunov, Russia’s ambassador-at-large to the Arctic Council, called the move “regrettable” and said it was contrary to the apolitical nature of the intergovernmental forum founded more than 25 years ago.
Under the suspension, all scientific projects and research collaborations on sustainable development and the environmental protection of the Arctic will discontinue.
Marc Lanteigne, associate professor at the University of Tromsø in Norway, said the suspension came at a “poor” time given the worsening climate change situation in the polar regions and the effect on local communities.
Uncertainties about energy prices and supply chains worldwide have also fuelled anxieties, he said, noting that a longer-term split between Russia and the West may “open the door for future environmental degradation”.
