Ávarp Guðlaugs Þórs Þórðarsonar umhverfis-, orku- og loftslagsráðherra á Arctic Circle Forum í Grænlandi 2022 -Ávarpið er á ensku

Ladies and gentlemen,

I think it is no exaggeration to say that the Arctic is at the heart of the global climate discussion. It is here that you can see the impact of climate change most clearly. We have for many years pointed out that the rate of warming is two-to-three times faster in the Arctic than the global average.
Now researchers say that this is an underestimation – for the last four decades the Arctic has warmed four times faster than the rest of the planet.

The Arctic is sending out an SOS to humanity. The problem is not only the rapid rate of change. We need to worry about negative feedback loops and dangerous tipping points, that might make these changes irreversible.

Thawing permafrost releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The enormous Greenland ice cap, our beautiful neighbour here in Nuuk,
is melting fast. It will take a millenium or more to disappear, but the melting may reach a point of no return in just a few decades. That risk alone is a good reason for climate mitigation action. The fate of the Arctic is not only the concern of those of who live here, but for every person on Earth.

Now, I am an optimist by nature, and I don‘t think scaremongering is helpful. But it is all right to „cry wolf“ when a whole pack of wolves appears on the horizon.
We must listen to the message of science, and what the Arctic and Arctic peoples are telling us. The message is urgent, and we need to listen and we need to act.

Why is the Arctic changing fast? Not so much from actions within the Arctic, but mainly from carbon emissions further south. If the four million inhabitants of the Arctic reach net zero tomorrow, it will do little to halt climate change driven by the activity of eight billion people worldwide.

But this does not mean that we in the Arctic should not take responsibility, and just ask big emitters to turn down their emissions. Many small island states have set out ambitious climate plans, as they see it as a moral duty to be a showcase for action. I think we in the Arctic should think along the same lines. I would like to see more cooperation between Greenland and Iceland on climate issues, and more cooperation between Arctic States and other actors, despite the difficult situation at present in the Arctic Council.

Indeed, we in the Arctic have taken responsibility. Our hosts, the Government of Greenland, suspended oil exploration last year. Iceland has done the same. We also increased our ambition level last year, aiming for 55% cuts up to 2030. It must be said that this will be hard – as Iceland is already almost carbon-free with regard to heating and electricity production. But we think it is important to set the ambition bar high, and to set an example.

We need good examples. We need leadership. We in the Arctic must act. But this will only get us so far.
Climate change is a global problem and it needs global solutions. This is why the annual meetings of the Climate Conventions, the COPs, are so important. It is easy to say that they are just huge talk-shops. But it is no small feat to coordinate 200 countries in meeting perhaps the most complex challenge in the history of humankind. We must act, but we can not act meaningfully except by moving in step. We need to talk to each other, to learn from each other, as we update our policies and actions.

I welcome the message from His Excellency Mariam Al Mheiri, from the United Arab Emirates. We have a truly global platform, in the form of the Paris Agreement. Now we need to deliver on those promises and spur action. We promised to beef up our targets for carbon cuts in Glasgow, at COP 26. Iceland has delivered on that promise. We will assess pledges at COP 27 in Egypt this fall. We will then have a Global Stocktake at COP 28 in Dubai. This will be a moment of truth, when we see how our promises and actions line up with the latest guidance from science.