The Security Dimensions of Environmental Policy: Canadian defence policy changes along with climate in the suddenly accessible Far North
IISD Project Officer Alec Crawford discusses how Canada's longstanding concern about Canada's Arctic sovereignty and security are increasingly shaped by climate change and the resulting reduction of sea ice. "The exploitation of the area's mineral deposits will become more cost-effective, and the region's vast oil and gas resources—which are believed to account for one-quarter of the world's undiscovered reserves—will ironically become more accessible due to climate change," writes Crawford. "A well-publicized scramble for these resources is already underway, with Canada, Russia, the United States, Denmark and Norway all staking competing claims." This commentary appeared in the Toronto Star on July 8, 2008.
You might also be interested in
The Hidden Clauses That Can Hinder Tax and Investment Policy Reform
Stabilization clauses should no longer automatically be included in contracts between states and investors. If they are, they should, at a minimum, build on the latest international standards on stabilization to avoid being a barrier to sustainable development.
Coalition against fossil fuel subsidies expands but misses initial targets
The UK, Colombia, and New Zealand have signed on to a coalition of governments aiming to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, joining 13 other mainly European nations in the alliance. IISD's Vance Culbert said that half a dozen more countries—including "a few larger economy developing countries"—are talking privately to them about joining too.
Europe’s Dash for Gas in Africa puts Private Profits First
Europe’s demand for gas is contributing to expansion of LNG projects in Mozambique, Nigeria, and Senegal. This favours the interests of European oil and gas companies over those of African countries, a new report shows.
The United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Colombia Join Coalition to Phase Out Fossil Fuel Subsidies
Today on the sidelines of the UN Climate Conference in Baku (COP 29), the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Colombia joined the international Coalition on Phasing Out Fossil Fuel Incentives Including Subsidies (COFFIS).