| Summary: | "The Arctic Council Ministers met in Kiruna in May last year and signed the Kiruna Declaration. On the occasion of the eight Ministerial meeting of the Arctic Council, the Ministers among other things “express[ed their] concern that global greenhouse gases are resulting in rapid changes in the climate and physical environment of the Arctic with widespread effects for societies and ecosystems and repercussions around the world, reiterating the urgent need for increased national and global actions to mitigate and adapt to climate change,” (our underlining). The Ministers further “recognize[d] that climate change in the Arctic causes significant changes in water, snow, ice and permafrost conditions, with cascading effects on biodiversity, ecosystems, economic and human living conditions in the Arctic with repercussions around the world, and that substantial cuts in emissions of carbon dioxide and other long-lived greenhouse gases are necessary for any meaningful global climate change mitigation efforts, and commit to strengthen our efforts to find solutions,” (our underlining) In protecting the Arctic environment, being one of the Arctic Council’s key tasks, the Ministers “note[d] with concern the potential impact of acidification on marine life and people that are dependent on healthy marine ecosystems, recognize that carbon dioxide emission reductions are the only effective way to mitigate ocean acidification. And request the Arctic States to continue to take action on mitigation and adaption and to monitor and assess the state of Arctic Ocean acidification” (our underlining). Finally, the Ministers “confirm[d] the commitment of all Arctic States to work together and with other countries under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to conclude a protocol, another legal instrument or an agreed outcome with legal force no later than 2015, and urge all Parties to the Convention to continue to take urgent action to meet the long-term goal aimed at limiting ...
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