STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Policy and Action on Plastic in the Arctic
T H E A R C T I C I N I T I AT I V E
|
THE POLAR INSTITUTE
Policy and Action on Plastic in the Arctic Ocean October 2019 Workshop Summary & Recommendations David Balton
The Arctic Initiative signed a statement
The Protection of the Arctic Marine
Brittany Janis
of collaboration with the Icelandic
Environment Working Group, UNEP
Marisol Maddox
Chairmanship in 2019 to help provide
and OSPAR representatives and industry
knowledge to advance policy work within
leaders in the tourism, fishing, recycling,
the Arctic Council. Iceland chose to
and circular economy spaces. The goal
highlight the issue of plastic debris in the
was to begin developing a framework for
Arctic Ocean as one of the focus areas
tackling Arctic plastic pollution.
during its Chairmanship of the Arctic
Halla Hrund Logaddottir
Fran Ulmer
PA P E R MARCH 2020
Following the two day workshop a summary of that conference, accom-
Council from 2019–2021, with the goal
“The growing plastic pollution prob-
panying case studies, and white paper
of creating a Regional Action plan to
lem in the Arctic will not be solved by
were published in a report entitled
tackle this problem. The Arctic Initiative,
players in the Arctic alone. It requires
“Policy and Action on Plastic Pollution
which has always included a focus on
experience, knowledge and action of
in the Arctic Ocean.” which offered
preserving the Arctic marine environ-
global stakeholders which was the
targeted recommendations to research-
ment, prartneredwith Wilson Center to
reason we focused on bringing this
ers and policymakers for how to begin
focus on addressing the plastic-pollution
group together for this work”, said Halla
to tackle the plastic problem. Since its
problem in the Arctic. problem of plastic
Logadóttir, Arctic Initiative Co-Founder
publication this paper has helped shape
in the Arctic.
and Co-Director.
the Arctic Regional Action Plan for addressing plastic pollution. Magnús Jóhannesson, the Arctic Council Special Coordinator on Plastics Pollution and Marine Litter, said of the report “Most of the strategy action recommendations from the Belfer Center report are on the table in the discussion for the development of the regional action plan.” The Arctic Initiative’s work on plastic pollution continues as Arctic Initiative’s
In October 2019, the Belfer Center’s
David Balton, Senior Fellow at the
co-Founder Halla Logadóttir described
Arctic Initiative and the Wilson Center’s
Wilson Center’s Polar Institute, said,
for the World Economic Forum.
Polar Institute co-hosted a workshop
“The workshop provided extraordinary
Expanding the effort beyond the work
on Policy and Action on Plastic in
insight into the spread of plastic pol-
for the Arctic Council, the Initiative’s
the Arctic Ocean with the Icelandic
lution in the Arctic Ocean. We learned
two post-doc fellows, Dr. Sarah Dewey
Chairmanship of the Arctic Council.
what we know—and what we do not
and Dr. Sarah Mackie, are now work-
The event at Harvard Kennedy School
know—about this problem. We also de-
ing with a science group of the Nordic
convened a diverse group of over sixty
veloped a range of practical recommen-
Council of Ministers, which includes 5
global thought leaders, stakeholders, and
dations to address plastic pollution in
of the 8 Arctic states, to craft a summary
experts that included Indigenous leaders
the Arctic, even as we strive to improve
of recommendations for policy makers.
from Alaska and Norway, scientists from
our understanding.”
ARCTIC INITIATIVE 2020
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Belfer Center for Science And International Affairs
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December 2020
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