News & Press Releases
16 June 2025
A Century in the Ice: Norwegian Royals Visit Svalbard to Mark 100 Years of Arctic Stewardship. Norway’s King Harald V and Queen Sonja arrived in Longyearbyen, the principal settlement in Svalbard, on Monday (16th June) to commemorate 100 years since the archipelago was officially recognized under Norwegian sovereignty. Their visit underscores the region’s critical role on the modern geopolitical stage.
28 May 2025
A German court has dismissed a landmark climate lawsuit filed by Peruvian farmer and mountain guide Saúl Luciano Lliuya against German energy giant RWE. The case, which has been ongoing for nearly a decade, sought to hold RWE partially responsible for the melting of glaciers in the Andes, which Lliuya argued posed a significant flood risk to his hometown of Huaraz, Peru.
21 May 2025
The EFTA Court has ruled that greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the combustion of oil and gas must be considered part of the environmental impact of fossil fuel production. This advisory opinion comes at the request of a Norwegian appeals court, which is handling a case brought by environmental groups aiming to halt new oil and gas developments in the North Sea.
21 May 2025
2nd Call for Papers for the International Green Energy Conference & the 6th International Conference on Energy and AI & the Arctic Energy Forum ends 30 May 2025.
12 May 2025
On 12 May 2025, the 14th meeting of the Arctic Council was held in a closed, virtual format.
Delegations from the eight Arctic States, six Permanent Participant organizations, Working Groups, and Observers attended the meeting.
12 May 2025
Later today Monday the 12th of May, the Kingdom of Denmark, comprising Denmark, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland, will formally assume the chairship of the Arctic Council during its 14th Ministerial Meeting. In a historic first, Greenland will lead the chairship on behalf of the Kingdom, reflecting both the territory’s growing international role and the Council’s increasing emphasis on Indigenous and Arctic community leadership.
9 May 2025
New research shows that explosive high-latitude eruptions—like those possible in Iceland—could trigger dramatic climate disruptions.
6 May 2025
During a powerful side event at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) inNew York on 22 April 2025, Indigenous reindeer herders, Sámi political leaders, and international experts came together to highlight the growing pressures facing nomadic pastoralist communities in the Arctic and sub-Arctic. With land fragmentation accelerating, participants warned that reindeer herding is approaching a dangerous tipping point, threatening both cultural survival and ecological balance.
5 May 2025
The Arctic Circle India Forum took place recently in New Delhi, bringing together high-level participants from across Asia, Europe, North America, and the Arctic. This two-day international forum, hosted at the Taj Palace Hotel, marked the first major global event focused on the Arctic since former U.S. President Donald J. Trump introduced a new policy stance on Greenland and the Arctic region.
2 May 2025
An interesting study published in Nature Communications in January 2025—titled “Pervasive glacier retreats across Svalbard from 1985 to 2023” (authors: Tian Li, Stefan Hofer, Geir Moholdt, Adam Igneczi, Konrad Heidler, Xiao Xiang Zhu & Jonathan Bamber), has revealed the most detailed picture to date of glacier loss in the Arctic archipelago. Using artificial intelligence to analyze nearly four decades of satellite data, researchers found that over 91% of Svalbard’s marine-terminating glaciers have retreated since 1985. The findings highlight not only the severity of climate-driven changes in the region but also the expanding role of AI in monitoring Earth’s rapidly transforming environments.
2 May 2025
From 1 May 2025, Professor Dr. Maarten Boersma will take over as Acting Director of the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI). He steps into the role following the departure of Professor Dr. Antje Boetius, who has been appointed President of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) in California.
27 April 2025
The Icelandic Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries has issued new five-year hunting permits for fin and minke whales, following advice from the Marine & Freshwater Research Institute. The permits allow for an annual catch of up to 161 fin whales and 217 minke whales through 2029, under strict quotas designed to ensure sustainable harvesting based on the precautionary approach to resource management.
22 April 2025
The peer-reviewed, open-access journal Advances in Polar Science (APS) has released its latest issue—Volume 36, Issue 1—published in March 2025. This edition features eight research articles covering a range of topics relevant to polar science. Below, you will find the titles and key highlights from each paper. For full access to the articles and additional information, visit the APS website.
14 April 2025
A call for contributions has been announced for the upcoming edited volume The Arctic's New Geopolitics: BRICS+ Policies and Investments, under the editorial guidance of Dr. Alexandra Middleton and Dr. Monojit Das.
11 April 2025
Ellesmere Island, one of the northernmost landmasses on Earth, is part of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Known for its remote and extreme environment, the island has been significant in Indigenous history, scientific research, and Arctic exploration.
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