As conflicts in the world heat up, Canada is shifting its attention to somewhere very cold.
What happened: The federal government announced a new Arctic policy that includes appointing an ambassador for the region, opening consulates in Alaska and Greenland, and initiating security talks with the U.S. and northern allies to assert greater sovereignty over what it calls “the North American Arctic.”
Why it matters: The Arctic is set to become a geopolitical hotspot as climate change melts the ice, potentially opening new shipping lanes and access to natural resources.
- The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that nearly a quarter of the world’s potentially undiscovered, exploitable fossil fuels and trillions of dollars worth of minerals are in the Arctic.
Why it’s happening: In large areas of the Arctic, who owns what is hotly contested, and Russia (with the financial backing of China) has been aggressively pursuing its own claims recently.
- This summer, Russia and China conducted joint military exercises in the Arctic, sent warships into the Bering Sea, and flew military aircraft over Alaskan airspace.
Yes, but: No new funding was included as part of the strategy, which will likely be necessary if Canada is going to compete in the region with China and Russia, who are both building ships and icebreakers to help stake their claim to the north.—TS