In recent years, Arctic wildlife and peoples have faced rapid and dramatic impacts related to global climate change.

The Arctic is warming three times as fast as the rest of the world. Seasonal sea ice, habitat for so many Arctic animals, is in rapid decline. Some scientists predict that it could be completely gone by 2037. Animals dependent on sea ice habitats—like walruses, polar bears, and certain species of Arctic seals—will face great challenges as sea ice continues to decrease in this region, as will the Indigenous peoples who depend on these animals and the sea ice to support the subsistence way of life.

In addition to the stresses imposed by climate change, the Arctic also faces the threat of offshore oil drilling. While oil and gas companies were forced to retreat from some areas of the Arctic Ocean, they still hold drilling leases off the coast of northern Alaska, and drilling in Arctic waters could lead to a catastrophic spill. No proven methods exist to effectively clean up oil spilled in icy Arctic waters. Finally, with the nearest permanent Coast Guard station more than 1,000 miles away, it would take several days just to reach the site of a spill in the remote Arctic Ocean.

As Arctic waters warm and sea ice recedes, the region has also become more accessible to vessels interested in using Arctic shipping routes. More shipping companies are using northern shipping lanes, in particular the Northern Sea Route along Russia’s Arctic coast. Arctic tourism is bringing cruise ships to these remote waters, too, including along Canada’s famed Northwest Passage, which historically was nearly impossible to transit. This additional vessel traffic exposes wildlife and Arctic communities to new risks, including increased pollution, ship strikes on marine mammals, the introduction of invasive species, oil spills and interference with local hunters and fishermen using small boats.

At Ocean Conservancy, we work in the U.S. and across the Arctic to help citizens and decision-makers alike understand what’s at stake in this region. We advocate science-based solutions to ensure that Arctic waters remain healthy and clean.

“Protecting the Arctic should be an immediate priority for all nations of the world!”

Whit Sheard

Senior Director, Shipping Emissions

Ocean Conservancy has long been active in the fight against risky offshore oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean. We’ve seen great success: President Obama set aside nearly 10 million acres as off-limits to oil and gas companies, and Shell and other oil and gas companies have abandoned their drilling prospects in the U.S. Chukchi Sea for the foreseeable future.

But there are still live oil leases in the Arctic Ocean, and the threat of offshore drilling remains—along with the threat of new oil and gas lease sales in the region. As a result, we continue to oppose new leasing in the U.S. Arctic Ocean, to fight to preserve important marine areas off-limits to oil and gas companies and to preserve the environmental and safety rules that govern offshore drilling in the Arctic Ocean.

“The Arctic’s future is uncertain, and the management choices we make today will affect the region for years to come. We must make sure those decisions are based on sound science.”

Andrew Hartsig

Director of Arctic Program

Similarly, while we have seen some advances in the regulation of shipping throughout the Arctic Ocean, there remains a lot to be done. We continue to work at the International Maritime Organization, where we are working with the nations of the world, shipping industry, and others to address shipping emissions in the Arctic, greenhouse gas emissions from shipping across the planet, and stringent Arctic-specific regulations related to navigation and safety.

Finally, we are working with the Arctic nations and permanent participants at the Arctic Council to address the need for international protections for the Arctic Ocean. This includes working towards treaties designed to ensure cooperation on marine management, the development of a network of marine protected areas, and ensuring we have the best scientific information available to develop management plans for this remote and rapidly changing region.

The Arctic needs our help today. Without careful planning, management and regulation, industrial activities like oil drilling and shipping could have dire consequences for a region that is already under enormous stress from global climate change and increasing acidification. And that could affect all of us, no matter where we live.