The WWF charity applaud the European Commission latest policy as an important contribution to the goal of ensuring that the Arctic is not destroyed by a new natural resources rush.
The Commission back up the WWF’s position that the Arctic environment requires preservation, and that any use of its resources should be sustainable. This united approach to arctic governance is required besides the basic principles provided by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Director of WWF International’s Arctic Programme, Neil Hamilton, said –
‘Many arctic species are already under stress from human activities and climate change. There is a strong need for avoiding additional pressures on the environment caused by unsustainable exploitative activities. The Arctic requires a shared approach to governance with ecosystems conservation as a core value to the benefit of future generations’
The Arctic is on the threshold of a potentially dangerous ecological change due to severely accelerated melting of the arctic sea ice. This can open up which opens new opportunities for theexploitation of arctic resources such as expanded oil and gas development, new commercial fishing and increased shipping.
Hamilton continued –
‘We are concerned that the present set of rules for the Arctic are not strong enough or broad enough to ensure environmental protection and sustainability for the region. We have seen the damage caused by historical resource rushes in this region, and we are concerned that with the impacts of climate change already being felt, any new development in the Arctic must be carefully managed. This means a comprehensive seamless approach to arctic governance rather than the current patchwork of treaties and agreement.’
The European Commission’s stance comes at a time when the arctic States and the six international arctic indigenous peoples’ organisations are attending a meeting of the Arctic Council. The Commissions communication follows a resolution passed recently by the European Parliament that also calls for improvements to arctic governance and is the basis for the development of an EU Arctic policy.
