The Arctic Report Card 2025: Record Low Winter Sea Ice and Orange Rivers The Arctic Report Card 2025 highlights the continued alarming developments in the Arctic and how climate change is disproportionately affecting the region.
Stig (30) Has Researched Snow in Svalbard for Four Years: “I Don’t Even Ski!” Stig Andreas Johannessen (30) became the first to defend his dissertation in Arctic Security at UNIS, the University Center in Svalbard. He has researched how Longyearbyen manages climate-related risks while simultaneously experiencing how climate change impacts the island himself.
The Arctic Council Launches New Podcast: “We Want to Bring the Arctic to the World” In the following months, High North News will publish the Arctic Council's new podcast,This Way Up. The Head of Communications for the Arctic Council, Anja Salo, says she hopes the podcast will showcase that the Arctic people have many of the answers to the region's issues.
Whispers in the Wind: Aerosols as the Arctic’s Urgent, Unseen Ally Op-ed: Aerosols are reshaping the Arctic in ways that greenhouse gases alone cannot explain. A dedicated management program could turn this hidden climate driver into a lever for immediate action, writes Hassan Alzain.
Locked Up in Washington, Murkowski Gave an Almost Absurd Insight Into American Madness Reykjavik (Comment): A deeply affected US Senator, Lisa Murkowski, spoke via videolink to 2,000 participants at the international Arctic Circle conference here in Reykjavik yesterday. She was supposed to be on stage, but instead showcased an involuntary digital demonstration of the madness of US politics.
Lena Leimgruber Studies Arctic Literature and Believes the Arts Is Needed in Arctic Discourse Doctoral student Lena Leimgruber at Umeå University thinks literature and the arts put the human into focus and provide an important perspective in Arctic discourse. "Literature can change you if you allow yourself to be part of it," she says to High North News.
Believes the Arctic Council Will Survive Oslo (High North News): The cooperation with Russia in the Arctic Council works, reports leaders in the council's working groups. Various voices are also optimistic in regard to the council's survival. "The council’s continued existence will be in everyone’s interest", says Norwegian top diplomat Morten Høglund.
New Nordic Cooperation to Study Sami Rights and Environmental Protection in the North A new Nordic research project will explore how climate change and tourism add pressure to the nature and Indigenous ways of living in the Arctic. The project will look at how legislation and political frameworks can be utilized to ensure the sustainable management of national parks in Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
Ice Melt Drives Earth's Sea Level Rise "Reducing black carbon emissions would help slow the meltdown", says Kay Brown, Arctic Policy Director at Pacific Environment.
Zero Emissions Day in the Arctic: A 24-Hour Stress Test for the Planet Op-ed: The 21st of September is Zero Emissions Day. The High North could make it a one-day trial, transforming it into a global call to act now rather than later, Hassan Alzain writes in this op-ed.
French Foreign Minister in Nuuk: "France Stands By Greenland" The French Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot visited Nuuk this weekend to demonstrate France's solidarity with Greenland and Denmark, as well as to develop cooperation with the Greenlandic government.
Svalbard Archipelago Lost 1% of Glacial Ice During Summer 2024 Heat Wave, New Study Finds Record-level temperatures battered Svalbard during summer of 2024. Researchers have now quantified the damage the heatwave caused: One percent of the archipelago’s ice had disappeared by the end of the summer, enough to raise global sea levels by 0.16mm.
From the North to the Tropics: Why Arctic Adaptation Must Be a COP30 Priority Op-ed: The Arctic is warming nearly four times faster than the global average, yet its communities receive virtually no adaptation support. COP30 must start to close that justice gap, writes Hassan Alzain.
France’s President to Visit Greenland The French President Emmanuel Macron will go on an official visit to Greenland on June 15th. Denmark's Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, will also participate in the visit. Security in the North Atlantic and the Arctic are at the top of the agenda.
US Climate Researcher: “We Are at a Tipping Point” Climate researcher Zack Labe was one of hundreds of scientists laid off at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration by DOGE this year. He believes we're at a tipping point and that "there could be a complete gap in the next generation of scientists."
“The US Can Become More Unpredictable on Climate Issues in the Arctic Council Than Russia” The Kingdom of Denmark’s Arctic Council chairship program form a good basis for further cooperation between the eight Arctic states. However, engaging the Trump administration in the council’s work on climate change could be particularly challenging, says FNI researcher.
Amid War and Tariffs, the Biggest Crises Are Forgotten Comment: Lately, everything revolves around war with weapons and tariffs. Yet, there are greater threats than that lurking under the surface. There just isn't any place for them in the news.
Need for a Canadian-European Security Consensus, Says Researcher Trump's comments about acquiring Canada and Greenland reinforce the importance of developing Canadian-European collaboration regarding the Arctic, says research fellow Gabriella Gricius at the North American and Arctic Defense and Security Network.
New Research Shows Svalbard Glacier Has Survived Warmer Past Glaciers are withdrawing across the globe. Since 2000, glaciers have lost between 2 and 39% of their ice regionally and about 5% globally. By using warmer periods in the past as a reference, new research shows that some glaciers could survive warmer conditions given the right settings.
Large Parts of Arctic No Longer Carbon Storage, Now Net Source of Emissions Climate change is transforming large parts of the Arctic region from a carbon sink to a net carbon emitter, a new study published inNatureconcludes. Up to 40 percent of the region’s tundra, boreal forests, and wetlands now release more CO2 than they absorb. Data gaps, especially in Siberia, hamper the understanding of the carbon dynamics.
Strong Security Focus in Canada's New Arctic Foreign Policy "The Arctic is no longer a low-tension region," said Canada's minister of foreign affairs. Ottawa is now initiating an Arctic security dialogue, strengthening the security perspective at a regional level, and opening new consulates in Anchorage and Nuuk.
Strong Security Focus in Canada's New Arctic Foreign Policy "The Arctic is no longer a low-tension region," said Canada's minister of foreign affairs. Ottawa is now initiating an Arctic security dialogue, strengthening the security perspective at a regional level, and opening new consulates in Anchorage and Nuuk.
Strong Security Focus in Canada's New Arctic Foreign Policy "The Arctic is no longer a low-tension region," said Canada's minister of foreign affairs. Ottawa is now initiating an Arctic security dialogue, strengthening the security perspective at a regional level, and opening new consulates in Anchorage and Nuuk.
The First Ice-Free Day in the Arctic Ocean Could Occur Before 2030, Says Researchers Researchers have now given the first projections of when the first ice-free September day in the Arctic Ocean could occur. Based on simulations, researchers say that the first ice-free day could occur before 2030.
Climate Change as a Threat Multiplier: “Directly Impacts Norwegian Security” Researchers at the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment (FFI) have researched how climate change can function as a threat multiplier for security in the Arctic. They emphasize that uncertainty is the biggest security threat and that they cannot observe any major changes in the security situation in the north so far.
Tree Planting Is No Climate Solution in the Arctic Planting trees is a simple and efficient way to mitigate climate change. However, new research shows that planting trees in the Arctic could have the opposite effect and, in fact, increase global warming.
Focus on Arctic Challenges at COP29 The UN's climate conference 2024, better known as COP29, is now taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Arctic is yet again on the agenda, this time focusing on the cryosphere and wildfires, particularly from an Indigenous perspective.
“Scientists Are Natural Diplomats” Reykjavik (High North News): At this year's Arctic Circle Assembly, science diplomacy is one of the buzzwords that resonates throughout sessions, debates, and lectures. "Scientists are natural diplomats, as they care deeply about science and not so much about politics," says Jane Francis, Director of the British Antarctic Survey.
Natural Variability Boosts Arctic Warming, Says Researchers When it comes to the Arctic and climate change, it is well known that the region is warming nearly four times faster than the global average. This is a development seen over the past four decades, but recent research now shows that this is not a permanent ratio and that it is likely due to a temporary anomaly.
New Research Says Arctic Ocean Will Be Unrecognizable by 2100 New research shows that the Arctic Ocean will drastically change in the following decades and be unrecognizable by 2100.
Arctic Whales Impacted by Continued Increase in Maritime Traffic Marine vessel traffic in the Arctic is increasing and often overlaps with Arctic whale ranges, say researchers. Due to Arctic industrialization and ice-free waters, narwhal, beluga, and bowhead whales are increasingly being exposed to impactful activities.
Icelandic Author Couple: Literature Allows Us To Explore Everything, Including the End of the World Harstad (High North News): "We Icelanders never prepare for anything," says the author couple Sigríður Hagalín Björnsdóttir and Jón Kalman Stefánsson. They admire the Norwegian practical preparedness thinking but also remind us of the resistance power of traveling literature and maintain that a preparedness storage must also include a book and a ukulele.
NATO’s New Northern Flank: Norway’s Army Chief Expects Great Responsibility Tromsø (High North News): The bulk of Sweden and Finland's army forces are located in the south, while most of Norway’s land forces are in the north. "These conditions will likely be important in further developing our cooperation," says the Chief of the Norwegian Army, pointing to new requirements and opportunities.
It’s Greenland’s Turn to Lead the Arctic Council Op-ed: In 2011, Greenlandic politicians arrived at an Arctic Council meeting in Sweden to find they did not have a seat at the table. I mean this in the most literal sense: the chair where Greenland sat during previous Arctic Council meetings had been moved to the back bench. Instead, the Kingdom of Denmark, of which Greenland is a self-governing nation, held the sole central seat.
Pentagon’s Upcoming New Arctic Strategy: "We Talk To Norway, Finland, and Sweden a Lot" Washington D.C. (High North News): The US DoD's new Arctic strategy is right around the corner. It has been developed in close dialogue with allies – not least the Northern Nordics, says Deputy Assistant Secretary Iris Ferguson. She expresses admiration for Norway's 'double strategy' on balancing deterrence and reassurance in the North.
Pentagon’s Upcoming New Arctic Strategy: "We Talk To Norway, Finland, and Sweden a Lot" Washington D.C. (High North News): The US DoD's new Arctic strategy is right around the corner. It has been developed in close dialogue with allies – not least the Northern Nordics, says Deputy Assistant Secretary Iris Ferguson. She expresses admiration for Norway's 'double strategy' on balancing deterrence and reassurance in the North.
Pentagon’s Upcoming New Arctic Strategy: "We Talk To Norway, Finland, and Sweden a Lot" Washington D.C. (High North News): The US DoD's new Arctic strategy is right around the corner. It has been developed in close dialogue with allies – not least the Northern Nordics, says Deputy Assistant Secretary Iris Ferguson. She expresses admiration for Norway's 'double strategy' on balancing deterrence and reassurance in the North.
The Arctic Is Burning – And It Is Changing The World Anchorage (High North News): The Arctic is rapidly warming, and wildland fires are sweeping across the region with devastating consequences.
The Arctic Is Burning – And It Is Changing The World Anchorage (High North News): The Arctic is rapidly warming, and wildland fires are sweeping across the region with devastating consequences.
Norway to Invest in Defense-Oriented Science and Innovation in the North Development of defense-related technology and knowledge in Northern Norway is underway as part of the government's new long-term plan for the Armed Forces. “This will increase the ability for defense, security and preparedness in the region,” says Norwegian MoD.
Scientists Assemble High-Resolution Dataset of 149 Glaciers in Svalbard Using AI Scientists used artificial intelligence to analyze 125,000 satellite images of glaciers in Svalbard to learn more about the seasonal melt patterns and ice mass loss of marine-terminating glaciers. Their work will help predict glacier dynamics and their contribution to future sea-level rise as other regions experience increased warming.
US Department of Homeland Security on New Visit in Tromsø: Seeking Arctic Knowledge Dimitri Kusnezov at the US Department of Homeland Security was recently in Tromsø, Northern Norway, for the second time in less than a year. At UiT, he was introduced to a wide range of Arctic research. Kusnezov says the department wants insight into how the world and the Arctic region appear, as seen from Norway.
Lack of Russian Data Reduces Understanding of Climate Change in the Arctic The loss of Russian climate change data from the Arctic creates a significant blind spot a new study warns. Around one third of research stations of the INTERACT network are located in the Russian Arctic.
New Lifecycle Assessment for Greenhouse Gases from LNG Spells Bad News for Emissions from Arctic Projects Liquefied natural gas may not be as clean as previously thought, a new study finds. While liquefied gas is often heralded as a less dirty alternative to coal, its lifetime emissions exceed those from coal, the new data suggest. The report gives special emphasis to methane emissions from the transport of liquefied natural gas, a finding relevant to Arctic LNG projects.
New Lifecycle Assessment for Greenhouse Gases from LNG Spells Bad News for Emissions from Arctic Projects Liquefied natural gas may not be as clean as previously thought, a new study finds. While liquefied gas is often heralded as a less dirty alternative to coal, its lifetime emissions exceed those from coal, the new data suggest. The report gives special emphasis to methane emissions from the transport of liquefied natural gas, a finding relevant to Arctic LNG projects.
Researchers Witness Clear Changes with Significant Consequences for the Barents Sea The Barents Sea, as we knew it, is no more, according to a new scientific publication from Norway's largest collaborative project: The Nansen Legacy.
The US Department of Defense Announces New Arctic Strategy in Early 2024 Reykjavik (High North News): The Pentagon's new Arctic strategy is scheduled to be launched at the beginning of next year, says Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Iris Ferguson at the Arctic Circle Assembly. She emphasizes that the overarching aim will still be to maintain peace and stability in the region.
PM of Iceland: We Have Suffered a Climate Backlash Reykjavik (High North News): At the Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavík, the Prime Minister of Iceland, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, emphasized that COP 28 in November must succeed in order to slow down rapid climate change.
The United Arab Emirates at the Arctic Circle: "Past Climate Promises Must Be Upheld" Reykjavik (High North News): "The Arctic is the front line of climate change in a very real sense. We must keep our eye on the Polar Star – the 1.5-degree target," says the United Arab Emirates' special envoy for climate and COP 28 President-Designate at the Arctic Circle Conference.
