Arctic Council's ambivalent engagement with climate change

Arctic Council's ambivalent engagement with climate change

Author: Eric Paglia November 1, 2018 Duration: 21:21
Despite the Arctic Council’s core mission of promoting sustainable development and environmental protection, it has to date done little to actually combat climate change. According to Dr. Annika Nilsson — an expert on Arctic politics at the Stockholm Environment Institute — this ambivalence towards climate mitigation constitutes one dimension of what she calls the “Arctic Paradox”. In the first part of her interview with the Polar Geopolitics podcast, Dr. Nilsson provides historical context and current perspective on the environment and energy-related aspects of the paradox in Arctic politics. (Image: Riccardo Pravettoni)

Hosted by Eric Paglia, Polar Geopolitics-Arctic and Antarctic analysis digs into the complex forces shaping the world's most remote frontiers. This isn't just a geography lesson; it's a deep exploration of how power, policy, and environmental crisis collide at the poles. Each conversation moves beyond headlines to examine the underlying strategic currents, from the scramble for critical raw materials in Greenland to the delicate governance of the Antarctic Treaty System. You'll hear leading researchers and policymakers unpack the realities of great power competition, where the interests of the United States, China, and Russia intersect with melting ice and emerging sea routes. The discussions regularly grapple with the role of institutions like the Arctic Council, the nuances of science diplomacy, and even the unsettling potential for hybrid warfare in these fragile environments. By applying a sharp geopolitical lens, the podcast reveals how climate change and national ambition are inextricably linked, making the polar regions central to understanding our global future. Tune in for thoughtful, expert-driven analysis that connects distant ice caps to the core issues of international affairs.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 89

Polar Geopolitics - Arctic and Antarctic analysis
Podcast Episodes
EU Arctic Policy and Geopolitics with Amb. Michael Mann [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:36
The European Union updated its Arctic policy in October with a communication that took a strong stand on climate change—calling for hydrocarbons to be left in the ground—and pronounced its status as an Arctic geopolitica…
Brazil and the Antarctic Geopolitics of South America [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:52
Despite asserting itself as a regional and global power, Brazil has traditionally taken a back seat to Chile and Argentina in terms of the Antarctic geopolitics of South America. Why has this been the case, and will Braz…
Science and geopolitics in Svalbard: the Ny-Ålesund Research Station [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:57
Hosting scientific facilities representing 12 countries, the Ny-Ålesund Research Station in Svalbard is perhaps the most international location in the Arctic. The former coalmining community, which Norway has over the pa…