U.S.-Canada Arctic Partnership Calls For Collaboration With Native Americans, Alaska Natives

Philip Baker-Shenk is a partner, Beth A. Viola is a senior policy advisor and Kayla Gebeck is a public affairs advisor in our Washington, D.C. office.

HIGHLIGHTS:

In early March, the United States and Canada entered into a new partnership to confront the challenges of a changing Arctic. The partnership calls for the involvement of key stakeholders - including Native American and Alaska Native communities - to incorporate science and traditional knowledge into important decision-making, environmental assessments and resource management related to climate change. On March 23, 2016, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced that it will award $6.5 million to Native Americans and Alaska Natives to promote climate change adaptation and ocean/coastal management planning projects. President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in early March 2016 a new partnership to confront the challenges of a changing Arctic. The partnership calls for the involvement of key stakeholders - including Native American and Alaska Native communities - to incorporate science and traditional knowledge into important decision-making, environmental assessments, and resource management related to climate change. The U.S. and Canada hope to extend this partnership to Mexico in the near future.

U.S. and Canada Arctic Priorities

While the partnership is primarily focused on establishing best practices and regulations for reducing carbon and methane emissions, it also addresses the importance of:

building a sustainable Arctic economy ensuring compliance with highest safety and environmental standards developing science-based standards to monitor the impacts of commercial activities conserving Arctic biodiversity addressing the intersection of climate change and security in terms of foreign relations, defense purposes and developmental emergency response measures creating innovative options for housing and infrastructure promoting the development of renewable energy Criticism of the New Partnership

Many have applauded the partnership of the U.S. and Canada in their plan to move forward with climate change responses in the Arctic. However, Alaska's...