International interest in what is happening in the Arctic has grown apace as accessibility to the region is made more feasible as a result of climate change. Visions of major resource development and militarization, as well as increased commercial shipping via more direct routes such as the Northern and Northwest Passages made possible by ice-free waters, have resulted in an increased policy and commercial focus on the whole region. The flip side of these developments, however, has also been to raise concerns about the ecological well-being of the Arctic and the human security of indigenous communities throughout the region.
Canada is the second largest Arctic country after Russia. Over 30% of the region (excluding the high seas) lies within Canada, and over 40% of Canada's land mass is in the Arctic. If the sub-Arctic such as Ungava and Labrador were to be included, this percentage would be even higher. It is clear that Canada's economic future is directly linked to the resource potential in the North. Consequently the Government of Canada, through its Northern Strategy (2007) and the creation of a new Northern Economic Development Agency (for north of 60°N) has made the North and the Arctic one of its major domestic policy priorities. In recent years the Government of Canada has invested significantly in civilian and military infrastructure, environmental protection, and science, and has adopted significantly important regulations pertaining to the environment and maritime issues. In the Speech From the Throne (March 3rd, 2010) and Budget 2010 (March 4th, 2010), the Government of Canada outlined further significant commitments and investments.
In 2012 Canada will host the final International Polar Year (IPY) conference on the theme of "From Knowledge to Action" in 2012. In 2013 Canada will assume the chair of the Arctic Council again. So the timing of the Canada-UK Colloquium in 2010 could not be better. The outcomes and outputs of the Colloquium will be used as direct input into the preparations for the 2012 Conference and the briefing process for Ministers in the lead-up to 2013.
The United Kingdom's interest in the Arctic is active, and increasing. It ranges from energy investment, security via NATO membership, tourism and/or scientific involvement throughout the Arctic including the Ny-Alesund scientific station (created in 1991) based in Svalbard. The British Isles are also intimately connected to the Arctic, for example through the migratory movements of birds and fish as well as weather systems. The UK has observer status in the Arctic Council and the UK is involved in key outputs such as Impacts of a Warming Arctic: Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (2004).
As part of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has a mandate to focus on Arctic as well as Antarctic issues: its science programme is Polar Science for Planet Earth. This has given rise to the recently concluded Memorandum of Understanding between Canada and the UK (the Polar Continental Shelf Project (PCSP) and BAS) which was celebrated at a recent event at Canada House in London that was attended by a number of key participants in the Canada-UK Colloquium. While the MOU is science-focused, it also allows for broader cooperation between the two countries on polar issues. The next Canada-UK Colloquia will be a new deliverable under the MOU and will further explore other areas of UK-Canadian collaboration in Arctic matters including the social sciences and the humanities.
Much of the debate around the Canadian Arctic has been at the level of governments, scientists, aboriginal groups, interest groups and environmental campaigners. The conversation is encompassing a broader range of interests, particularly amongst economic, security, and financial decision makers - while the British media is becoming increasingly alarmed at the possible consequences for the UK of rapid climate change in and around Canada and Greenland, other developments such as the involvement of Edinburgh-based Cairn Energy in exploration of the western Greenland coastline receive less attention.