Ministerial Meeting of the Arctic Council in Reykjavik on 24 November

Foreign Minister Jan Petersen is attending the Ministerial Meeting of the Arctic Council in Iceland on 24 November. The most important item on the agenda is a discussion of the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment.

“The report shows that the situation as regards climate change in the Arctic is a serious one. The consequences may be dramatic, and it is quite clear that this is one of the greatest challenges now facing us in the northern areas,” said the Foreign Minister. “This thorough survey is a vital step forwards. It is also important that the US has played an active role in the assessment. I am sure that all the eight Arctic countries will take the report’s conclusions seriously, and that it will provide valuable input to the global climate negotiations,” said Mr Petersen.

“The alarming changes in the Arctic climate highlight the importance of intensifying our efforts to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. Even though the Arctic region does not contribute significantly to global climate change, the Arctic states are responsible for about 40 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. They therefore have a special responsibility for efforts to reduce these emissions,” continued Mr Petersen.

In addition to the climate assessment, the foreign ministers will be discussing co-operation on environmental protection and sustainable development in the Arctic. A key issue here is the efforts to reduce the high levels of persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals in the Arctic.

The meeting is being attended by the Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Russian and Swedish foreign ministers, the Canadian Minister of the Environment, Greenland’s Vice-Premier, the US Deputy Secretary of State, and high-level representatives of six indigenous organisations, including the Saami Council, which represents the Saami in Norway, Finland, Sweden and Russia.

Accredited journalists will be able to speak to the ministers at the Nordica Hotel in Reykjavik from 12.00-12.30 and 17.00-17.30.

Press contact: Press Spokesman Karsten Klepsvik, mobile phone + 47 90055 296