News

5 Facts About Dioxins, One of the Most Toxic Compounds on Earth

Dioxins are extremely toxic and can interfere with hormones and cause numerous serious health problems. Unfortunately, all humans are exposed to them at varying levels. T...

On track with the regional plastic action plan for the Arctic

In October 2019, the Belfer Center’s Arctic Initiative and the Wilson Center’s Polar Institute co-hosted a workshop on Policy and Action on Plastic in the Arctic Ocean wi...

From Iceland to Scotland in 207 days

A capsule containing a GPS transmitter travelled several thousand kilometres from Iceland to Scotland –highlighting how marine litter can travel.

PAME releases first ‘plastic in a bottle’

The Arctic Council’s Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME) Working Group launched the first bottle equipped with a GPS transmitter into the Atlantic on 12 Se...

Interview with Magnús Jóhannesson, the Special Coordinator on Plastics

Magnús Jóhannesson is the Council’s designated special coordinator on plastics, marine litter. In this interview, the former Director of the Arctic Council Secretariat sp...

Interview with ACAP Chair Inger Johanne Wiese

"ACAP’s work is focused on pollution and short-lived climate drivers. Pollution is a threat to the Arctic ecosystem and people living there."

Towards an international symposium on plastics in the Arctic

The “International Symposium on the Threat of Plastics to the Arctic and Sub-Arctic Marine Environment” will take place in Reykjavik 21-23 April 2020.

Arctic Council at COP24: Curbing black carbon emissions for health and Arctic climate benefits

The Arctic Council will be hosting "Black carbon in the Arctic and snow-covered regions – a climate forcer and an air pollutant" at COP24 in Katowice, Poland, Monday 10 D...

EPPR table-top exercise on oil spill response in the Arctic

A table-top exercise of the 2013 Agreement on Cooperation on Marine Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response in the Arctic will be run in Oulu, Finland, on 7 March 2018. T...

Interview: Mikael Hildén, Chair of Expert Group on black carbon and methane

"The work to reduce black carbon emissions in particular provides unambiguous win-win opportunities."

Black carbon and methane Expert Group meets in Helsinki 8-9 June

Reduction of black carbon and methane emitted within and beyond the borders of Arctic States will have a substantial impact on the Arctic, leading to near-term climate, h...

Ratification completed for agreement on oil pollution preparedness and response

Although workshops and exercises have been conducted under the “Agreement on Cooperation on Marine Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response in the Arctic” since 2014, the ...

Arctic Council's Black Carbon and Methane Work Highlighted at COP21

At the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21), in Paris, France, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iceland generously hosted and prepared a side event focused on the Arcti...

Workshop: Marine Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response

Representatives from the Arctic Council participated in an EPPR MOSPA exercise workshop held September 15-17, 2015 at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C. T...

Negotiations in Helsinki on New Arctic Agreement on Marine Oil Pollution Response

At the 2011 Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting in Nuuk the ministers mandated a Task Force to prepare an international instrument on Arctic marine oil pollution preparedn...

Mercury in the Arctic

The Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) recently published a detailed scientific assessment on mercury in the Arctic, updating previous assessments made in ...

Technical report of the Arctic Council Task Force on Short-Lived Climate Forcers

The Task Force on Short-Lived Climate Forcers produced the "Progress Report and Recommendations for Ministers", which was a mayor deliverable during the Danish Chairmansh...

TFBCM Co-Chairs discuss progress

At its final meeting, the Arctic Council’s Task Force for Action on Black Carbon and Methane worked towards finalizing its deliverables for the 2015 Ministerial meeting.

Interview with co-chairs of Task Force on Oil Pollution Prevention

In a brief interview, Senior Arctic Officials from Norway and the Russian Federation comment on their countries’ work to prevent oil pollution in the Arctic marine enviro...

Ottawa hosts third session of Task Force on Arctic Marine Oil Pollution Prevention

When the Arctic Council’s Task Force on Arctic Marine Oil Pollution Prevention (TFOPP) met recently in Ottawa, it took important steps towards developing the Action Plan ...