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Norway’s SAO. The duty of the SAO is to participate in the preparation of the draft ministerial declarations and to coordinate the Norwegian input with relevant
ministries. Norwegian viewpoints are clariied at the political level and in cooperation with relevant ministries. The Ministry of Foreign Afairs invites ministries involved
and other relevant representatives from the authorities and voluntary organisations for preparatory meetings to discuss and coordinate technical matters and issues of funda-
mental importance before the SAO meetings and Ministerial Meetings – in practice about once every six months.
112
The Ministry of Foreign Afairs clariied that more meetings are called during years with Ministerial Meetings. In addition, there are
regular meetings and coordination in the public administration in connection with the Norwegian participation in the Arctic Council’s working groups and projects.
The Ministry of the Environment believes that the general lines of conlict related to protection and use found in the Norwegian public administration, also become visible
with the development of Norway’s positions in the Arctic Council. The Ministry points out that there will therefore be a need for close contact and coordination
between relevant ministries.
113
According to the Ministry of Foreign Afairs, continuous follow-up of the declaration and preparations for the next declaration take place at several levels during the periods
between the Ministerial Meetings: between top-level oicials the SAOs, in working groups and at expert level, and at the national public administration level.
114
For its part, the Ministry of the Environment convenes coordination meetings with subordi-
nate agencies – and with other ministries if there is a need for that in connection with certain processes or projects.
115
4.4.3 Norwegian follow-up of recommendations in ministerial declarations
According to the Ministry of Foreign Afairs, the recommendations from the mini- sterial declarations vary widely, from comprehensive political objectives to minor
projects. The way the recommendations are followed up in the public administration depends on the type of recommendation in question. Some recommendations are
already part of Norwegian policy, while others require that the Ministry of Foreign Afairs coordinate the cooperation between the relevant ministries.
No national system has been established to document how the Arctic Council’s techni- cal recommendations are followed up by the public administration. The Ministry of
Foreign Afairs added that it is mainly the specialist ministries that draft and negotiate these types of recommendations, and are the best qualiied to evaluate how such
recommendations should be followed up nationally.
The Ministry of the Environment states that it would be practical if a separate coordi- nated system was established to ensure follow-up and implementation of the ministe-
rial declarations’ technical recommendations on the environment, and that a discus- sion is under way to establish such a system. The Ministry emphasises, however, that
the lack of a formal follow-up system does not mean that the recommendations that emerge through the Arctic Council, are neglected.
116
Nor are regular formal meetings held in the administration after Arctic Council meetings,
117
but sporatic follow-up meetings have been held with the Norwegian actors, most recently in September
112 Interview with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 14 June 2013 and interview with the Ministry of the Environment on 31 May 2012.
113 Interview with the Ministry of the Environment on 7 May 2012. 114 Interview with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 14 June 2013.
115 Interview with the Ministry of the Environment on 7 May 2012. 116 Interview with the Ministry of the Environment on 31 May 2012.
117 Interview with the Ministry of the Environment on 26 August 2013.
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2013. The Ministry of the Environment noted that there has also been extensive informal contact with the Ministry of Foreign Afairs regarding Arctic Council work.
Regarding follow-up of the work to be done in the Arctic Council, the Ministry of Foreign Afairs said that after the Ministerial Meeting it coordinates speciic follow-up
of various projects by submitting concept papers and project proposals for consulta- tion with relevant ministries, or that the responsible ministry does this.
118
The Ministry of Foreign Afairs said that it would like to see even closer collaboration with relevant ministries and agencies in matters raised in the Arctic Council. For
Norway’s part, considerable resources are being invested in the Arctic Council, and the Ministry of Foreign Afairs emphasises that the work of the Arctic Council must
be as transparent and efective as possible.
119
4.4.4 The Arctic Council’s recommendations and influence on the work of Norwegian authorities
According to the Ministry of Foreign Afairs, Norway is working actively to commu- nicate Norwegian viewpoints to the Arctic Council. Norway has often been in the
forefront of policy development in the Arctic Council, and much of what is adopted there is already Norwegian policy.
The Ministry of the Environment elaborated that even though the Arctic Council, and particularly the assessment reports, provide a good foundation for the development of
Norwegian policies, there is no direct connection between the Arctic Council’s work and national goals. The Arctic Council may be one of the factors that inluence the
goals, but will usually not be a decisive factor. Many of the national goals are directly derived from international agreements or obligations.
120
For the Ministry of the Environment’s part, the Arctic Council is, however, a venue to discuss current environmental issues within the administration, particularly in relation
to other adjacent specialist ministries. The Ministry of Foreign Afairs is also a key ministry, and can in collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment put the Arctic
climate and environmental issues on the international agenda.
The strategies, policies and action plans the Arctic Council prepares may have some signiicance for
Norwegian public administration, but in the same way as with advice and recommen- dations, Norway is usually ahead of the Arctic Council.
121
The Ministry of the Environment noted that it is diicult to measure the degree to which the Arctic Council and its recommendations are decisive for the management of the
Arctic as a whole. However, the Ministry noted that AMAP has played a very important role in summarising knowledge of the Arctic, and pointed out the importance of sum-
marising and disseminating knowledge about the challenges in the Arctic. The Arctic Council’s large catchment area is helping to create broad understanding for the environ-
mental challenges facing the Arctic, which in the Ministry’s assessment could be said to be the most important practical result for the Arctic Council.
122
The other ministries that have been asked said that the recommendations have no signiicance for their management of the areas. The Arctic Council can, however,
be an important forum for amassing knowledge and exchanging experience among the Arctic states. This subject is also discussed in Chapter 6.
118 Interview with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 14 June 2013. 119 Interview with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 14 June 2013.
120 Interview with the Ministry of the Environment on 26 August 2013. 121 Interview with the Ministry of the Environment on 26 August 2013.
122 Interview with the Ministry of the Environment on 7 May 2012.
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5 Climate and environment
This part of the audit covers climate 5.1, pollution 5.2 and biological diversity 5.3 in the Arctic. Each section describes the status of and technical activities the
Arctic Council has carried out to increase knowledge about the challenges in each area, along with the measures the Arctic Council recommends vis-à-vis the member
states to meet these challenges. The Arctic Council’s activities in connection with rele- vant international conventions are furthermore reviewed. In conclusion, the manner in
which Norway works within each of the areas that the Arctic Council has emphasised as important is described, and goals that have been achieved in the areas where the
Arctic Council has made recommendations are presented. Goal attainment details are given in Annex 4.
The sea ice that is disappearing due to increasing temperatures is threatening animal life in the Arctic.
Photo: Sebastian Gerland, Norwegian Polar Institute.
5.1 Climate challenges in the Arctic – The Arctic Council’s work and national climate policy
5.1.1 Climate challenges in the Arctic
In recent decades, the temperatures in the Arctic have risen twice as fast as the global average, cf. the white paper on climate adaptation in Norway Meld. St. 33
2012–2013. The total volume of ice in the Arctic has been reduced by two-thirds
since 1979, and there are indications that the Arctic ocean areas may be virtually free of ice during the summer by the middle of this century.
