New project: Implications of climate change, geo-engineering and deep sea mining for the Norwegian High North

A new iC3 project will examine the implications of climate change, geo-engineering and deep sea mining for the Norwegian High North.

The project team will conduct semi-structured interviews with 56 researchers drawn from 14 Fram Centre institutions based in Tromsø, covering the following six questions: 

(1) What impacts of climate change will most strongly affect the lives and livelihoods of people in the Norwegian High North 30 years from now, why and how?

(2) Which of these impacts are least discussed and/or least well understood by High North policy makers?

(3) Overall, do High North policy makers overestimate or underestimate the impact of climate change over a 30 year horizon?

(4) What are the potential benefits and risks of geo-engineering specifically for the Norwegian High North?

(5) What are the potential benefits and risks of deep sea mining specifically for the Norwegian High North?

(6) Some experts argue that the 1.5C goal embraced by Norway and other countries is now unachievable. Should this goal be replaced, and if so, by what?

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The project will pull together insights from the interviews in an academic paper and a policy brief.

The Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) will convene an interactive workshop bringing together the participating scientists and High North policy makers for small group discussions in Tromsø.

The project team is comprised of Aurelie Labarre and Till Bruckner from the iC3 Polar Research Hub, James McKenna from the Institute of Marine Research, and Mario Acquarone from AMAP. 

This micro-project is funded by the Fram Centre with 179,036 NOK plus in-kind support from AMAP, and will run until the end of 2025.