Opening Session of the Arctic Circle - October 14th 2021

Chairman of the Arctic Circle Assembly, Mr. Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, former President of Iceland,

Excellencies, distinguished guests,

It is an honour to be here with you today. It is a calm and sunny day here in Reykjavík, but we who live in the high north face storm clouds on the horizon.

The Arctic as we know it is changing fast. It may become unrecognizable in a few decades if we do not act. Indeed, the entire planet is changing due to climate change, and is paying the price of our past actions. But the Arctic is where we can see this change most clearly – it is here that the warning signals are loudest. We need to listen and we need to act.

We see this change in shrinking glaciers, sea ice and permafrost. We see it in heat records being beaten north of the Arctic Circle. We see it in unprecedented fires in the tundra and the great boreal forests of the north.

What is especially worrying is that some of these changes can lead to a vicious climate cycle. Less ice cover means less reflection of solar energy. The melting of permafrost releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas. We need to halt catastrophic climate change before we reach dangerous tipping points for the climate. This is the message of science. This is the message of the Arctic.

We can all agree on the fact that today‘s scientific knowledge is certain on this front.

Last week three scientists - Syukuro Manabe, Klaus Hasselmann and Giorgio Parisi - were awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize in physics for their ground-breaking work on building reliable computer models of the Earth‘s climate, that can predict the impact of global warming. Their research shows how the climate responds in the long-term to rising greenhouse gas emissions, and has helped us understand the impact of global warming. It adds to the decisive scientific evidence that tells us that the current trend of climate change is a planetary emergency. Last August´s IPCC report told us very clearly that no region in the world is immune to the changes happening to the Earth‘s climate system.

The worst climate scenarios presented by science are gloomy. Is there hope for the future? Yes, there is. Human action is responsible for the current trend. Human action can halt this trend.

I am convinced that technology and innovation can help us in the fight against climate change. I am convinced that the cost of green solutions to avert catastrophe is lower than we often think, and most certainly much less than the cost of inaction.

Ladies and gentlemen.

For the past 18 months the world has been engulfed by the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences. The pandemic has shown us how taking bold actions based on science has worked and mitigated the effects of the pandemic, and how not taking these actions can have dire consequences. There are many lessons to be learned from these past 18 months. Lessons, that can help us make better and wiser decisions today in order to help stave off future crisis. For example the importance of international cooperation, of taking scientific facts and findings seriously, of reducing inequalities in societies and of having the courage to take make bold decisions for transformative change.

Ladies and gentlemen.

The Arctic Circle Assembly has become a central forum for a joint reflection on the state of the Arctic. This is a venue for a constructive dialogue between the diverse people that make up this region; and between the peoples of the Arctic and the rest of the world. We here in Iceland are very proud of this assembly and earlier this year the Icelandic government decided to give some funding to a new non-governmental institute, the Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson Arctic Institute, which will be the home of Arctic Circle and a hub for a dynamic and powerful dialogue and research on the Arctic and climate.

Last May, Iceland successfully concluded its two year chairmanship of the Arctic Council, a tenure certainly made more challenging by the reality of COVID-19. The theme of our Chairmanship -Together Towards a Sustainable Arctic - reflects Iceland’s commitment to the principle of sustainable development and our belief in the need for close cooperation in the region and beyond. Iceland has aimed to strengthen the Arctic Council as the main intergovernmental forum on Arctic affairs. Our focus has been on green solutions in the area, the people and communities of the Arctic, and the Arctic marine environment.

Under Iceland‘s chairmanship the Arctic Council has, for the first time, adopted a 10-year strategic plan to help guide the Council‘s work, aiming to improve transparency and accountability. This is an important step to a long-term vision and commitment to sustainable development benefitting the people, wildlife and habitats of the Arctic region.

Our goal must continue to be to keep the Arctic as a low-tension area and an area of exemplary international cooperation. The Arctic is no place for increased armaments and military action. We need to bridge our differences and solve our problems by conversation and cooperation. That is why we are here, in the Arctic Circle Assembly; because here we can meet face to face, understand each other better and help build a future of peace and sustainability in the High North.

Ladies and gentlemen.

Every time I address important gatherings, such as this one, I make a point of emphasizing the importance of diversity, gender-equality and parity in our decision-making bodies, and in our societies and communities at large. Only when we have equal representation and equal rights for all people, can we achieve our goals for sustainable development and a prosperous future for all.

Iceland has led the work of the Arctic Council in this field since 2013 and will continue to lead projects on diversity and gender equality in the Arctic.

Reducing inequality, both within and between countries, will help us mitigate some of the effects of climate change. We must also bear in mind that climate change affects genders differently and we must take that into consideration in our plans and actions.

Ladies and gentlemen.

The United Nation‘s Climate Change Conference - COP26 as it is called - is right around the corner. The Glasgow COP has been called the most important climate conference since the historic Paris meeting in 2015. I think this is no exaggeration.

We need COP26 to be a success, for the future of humankind and the planet. The meeting is of special importance to the Arctic region. The unprecedented environmental change taking place in the Arctic and other areas around the globe requires immediate action. Without bold collaborative action we risk a future catastrophe in the Arctic and beyond.

The stakes are high, but we should not lose hope. Green solutions come with a price tag, but they also bring new jobs, new opportunities, new benefits. Climate action can drive economic, social and development objectives. Think-tanks around the world, such as The New Climate Economy, have shown that the green transformation of our economy is both complementary to and essential for economic development. Green transformation is in fact the growth story of the 21st century.

We already have most of the tools and knowledge necessary to make the change we need. Increased support for green innovation will help us to reach the extra mile. 

Governments must be bold in bringing on more ambitious climate measures. The Arctic nations must have the vision and courage to act fast and decisively and to lead by example. We do not have the luxury of time to wait for others to act. We must have the courage to lead and we must act together for the sake of our people, for the sake of the Arctic, and for the sake of future generations.

Thank you.