Environmental and climate challenges in the Arctic region are high on the international agenda. Updated knowledge about changes and developments in the Arctic provides important input to policy processes at both the national and international level.
Cooperation on environmental protection in the Arctic is important for Norway, and the Norwegian Environment Agency participates in national and international cooperation on resource utilisation, environmental management, and scientific research.
Our contribution includes participation in the Arctic Council, the environmental cooperation within the Barents Euro-Arctic Council (BEAC), as well as cooperation under the Polar Bear Agreement. Norway has had an extensive bilateral environmental cooperation with Russia.
An important task is to identify and increase relevant knowledge on climate, pollution, and biodiversity. In addition, our mission is to ensure that relevant knowledge is made publicly available so that decision-making processes in the Arctic, including Svalbard, are based upon the most recent state of knowledge.
Arctic Council
The Arctic Council is an intergovernmental body among the Arctic states that promotes cooperation on common Arctic issues. The main objective of the Arctic Council is to promote sustainable development and environmental protection in the region.
The cooperation was formally established in 1996 and has included the eight Arctic states (Canada, Denmark (including Greenland and Faroe Islands), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States) as well as representatives of the Arctic indigenous peoples.
Most of the work under the Arctic Council had been carried out within six Working Groups among which the Norwegian Environment Agency has nominated experts to help implement project activities and acts as Heads of Delegation in three of them:
In addition, there are three other working groups focusing on various issues:
Barents Cooperation
The Barents Cooperation was formally established under the Kirkenes declaration in 1993 and has been fundamental to the regional cooperation in the Arctic.
The Barents Euro-Arctic Council (BEAC) is a forum for intergovernmental cooperation on topics relevant for the Barents region (Finland, Norway, Russia and Sweden).
The Norwegian Environment Agency has participated in the environmental cooperation under the Barents Euro-Arctic Council's Working Group on Environment. Here, we have collaborated with agencies and experts from the other member states of the Barents Council under the Subgroup on Hotspots Exclusion (SHE) to improve the conditions in environmental "hotspots" in the region.
These hotspots are 42 prioritized environmental challenges in the Russian part of the Barents Region, including waste, sewage, contaminated drinking water, pollution from industry, and contaminated soils. As significant environmental improvements have been achieved, hotspots have been excluded from the list.
Norwegian-Russian bilateral environmental cooperation – suspended
Norway has been engaged in bilateral environmental cooperation with Russia since 1992.
In February 2022, environmental cooperation with Russia was suspended because of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.
The Norwegian Environment Agency previously had cooperation with Russia on conservation of biodiversity, pollution prevention, marine environment, and monitoring of the air quality in the border regions of the two countries. The work was based upon a joint Working Program signed by the Ministers of Environment of both countries.
Conservation of biodiversity
Norway and Russia share several endangered and vulnerable cross-border populations of red-listed species of birds and marine mammals. We have a mutual interest and responsibility in contributing to their conservation.
Through the cooperation with Russia we have shared relevant knowledge about the species' population dynamics and improvement measures in Norway and Russia, and in some cases performed joint monitoring of population trends among selected vulnerable species.
Pollution prevention
Norway and Russia have a shared interest in reduction of pollution, especially in the northern parts of the Barents Sea.
The Norwegian Environment Agency has collaborated with Russian partners on environmentally sound waste management in municipalities and the implementation of best available technologies (BAT) in the industry sector.
In addition, we have shared experience on how to live up to commitments under global conventions on chemicals and hazardous waste, where both countries work to reduce their emissions of hazardous substances.
Marine environment
Both Norway and Russia have a shared interest in preservinge the marine ecosystems of the Barents Sea in the best possible manner. The cooperation on the marine environment aimed to contribute to an ecosystem-based management of the Barents Sea to maintain the biological diversity. In addition, the collaboration was to contribute to the exchange of knowledge about, for example, marine litter and microplastics in the Barents Sea.
We have also participated in cooperation with Russia on reducing the environmental risk of petroleum activities.
Ambient air quality in the border region between Norway and Russia
The Norwegian Environment Agency has cooperated with Russia for decades monitoring of ambient air quality in the border region.
The smelter industry in the Russian border towns of Nikel and Zapoljarnyj has emitted large quantities of sulphur dioxide and heavy metals into the air over the last decades. The emissions have affected the environment also on the Norwegian territory.
The smelter plant in Nikel was shut down in December 2020. This has had positive effects on the air quality on both the Norwegian and Russian side.
The Norwegian Environment Agency continue to monitor the ambient air quality on the Norwegian side of the border, now with a focus on long range transboundary air pollution.
Polar Bear Agreement
The Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears (Polar Bear Agreement) was established in 1973 between the five polar bear range states (Canada, Denmark (Greenland), Norway, Russia and USA (Alaska)).
The polar bear is categorized as a vulnerable species under the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of threatened species. The objective of the Polar Bear Agreement is to protect the polar bear and its habitats through coordinated initiatives.
The member states have developed a circumpolar action plan for polar bears (2015-2025) and cooperate on its implementation. The Norwegian Environment Agency is the contact point for the Agreement on the Norwegian side but is also coordinating the follow-up of the agreement together with the Norwegian Polar Institute and the Governor of Svalbard.
Multilateral cooperation
The five polar bear range states are working closely together on the follow up of the Polar Bear Agreement, both on the management and research aspects.
On a biennial basis, the parties of the Polar Bear Agreement come together for a formal meeting.
The last formal meeting was held in Longyearbyen on Svalbard, March 4-6, 2020. At that time, Norway has had the chair under the Polar Bear Agreement, a task that is now taken over by Canada.
Climate change as a threat for polar bears
Climate change is expected to be a major threat for the polar bear in the future due to the reduction in sea ice. This is very critical for the polar bear, since it relies on sea ice for hunting as well as accessing den areas. The number of days with sea ice cover has decreased since 1979 in all areas where the polar bear is present.
The Norwegian-Russian polar bear population (Barents Sea shared population) is found in the sea areas around Svalbard and eastwards until Franz Joseph land. This is the area in the Arctic where climate change is most visible with increasing average temperatures and a reduced sea ice covered area due to earlier melting in summer and delayed sea ice formation in autumn.