Arctic

The Arctic is home to unique habitats that are severely threatened by the effects of climate change. The increasing loss of sea ice allows parts of the Arctic to be used more intensively than ever before, especially to pursue economic opportunities such as oil, gas, and mineral exploitation and commercial shipping, fishing, and tourism.

Some of these activities threaten the rights of indigenous and local communities and increase pressures on the region's ecosystems critically, whereas others might allow for sustainable local development in certain areas. Our work requires interdisciplinary research and a cross-sectoral understanding of the dynamics at hand, including the impacts of transboundary pollution, invasive species, and underwater noise as well as protection through different management tools such as marine protected areas.

Ecologic Institute provides analyses of international, regional, and national governance frameworks with relevance for the Arctic and develops recommendations to support sustainable environmental policy and governance for the region. Our experts draw particularly on their experiences of ocean and marine governance as well as on their legal expertise to cover all relevant pressures on Arctic habitats.

Ecologic Institute is also represented in national fora such as the German Arctic Dialogue. It also fosters transdisciplinary exchange, including with its Arctic Summer College for young professionals for a decade.

Contact

Arne Riedel, LLM

Coordinator Ecologic Legal

Coordinator Arctic

Senior Fellow

Team Projects Publications Events Presentations

Environmental Law – Ecologic Legal

Land Use

Climate

Plastics

Arctic

Trade

Governance

Dr. Ralph Bodle, LLM

Senior Fellow

Adaptation

Water

Arctic

Evgeniya Elkina

Researcher

Biodiversity

Coastal + Marine

Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure

Arctic

Gregory Fuchs

Co-Coordinator Coastal and Marine

Fellow

Coastal + Marine

Arctic

Biodiversity

Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure

Fenja Kroos

Researcher

Environmental Law – Ecologic Legal

Arctic

Coastal + Marine

Climate

Education

Governance

Industry

Arne Riedel, LLM

Coordinator Ecologic Legal

Coordinator Arctic

Senior Fellow

Selected Projects for Arctic

ProjectDynamic Protection and Adaptive Management – Arctic marine protection facing climate change (DynArc)

Bild von Arvid Olson auf Pixabay

The marine Arctic is facing rapidly changing environmental conditions that are likely to require improved and adaptive management tools to protect its specialized ecosystems. Together with the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel) and the Research Institute... Read more

Dynamic Protection and Adaptive Management – Arctic marine protection facing climate change (DynArc)

Duration: Oct 2024 - Jul 2027
Funding: Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN), Germany

ProjectYear-round EcoSystem Study on Svalbard (YESSS)

The Arctic is experiencing unprecedented warming; the region warms four times faster than the global average. These changes affect ecosystems at every level, from microscopic phytoplankton to fish such as the Arctic cod, which play a key role in the food web. In order... Read more

Year-round EcoSystem Study on Svalbard (YESSS)

Duration: Oct 2023 - Dec 2026
Funding: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany

Arctic Environment

ProjectPan-Arctic Network of Marine Protected Areas (Ark-MPA)

|© Richard Fitzer | shutterstock.com

The consequences of climate change are much more visible in the Arctic than in other regions of the world. The increasing loss of sea ice allows to use parts of the Arctic Ocean for a longer time and more intensively than before. This could threaten biodiversity in the... Read more

Pan-Arctic Network of Marine Protected Areas (Ark-MPA)

Duration: Dec 2019 - Aug 2022
Funding: Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN), Germany

ProjectWWF Arctic Council Conservation Scorecard II – 2019 edition

iStock©Lya Cattel

How can we improve policy monitoring of national implementation to further protect the Arctic environment and its inhabitants? With the WWF Arctic Council Scorecards, Ecologic Institute and WWF International Arctic Programme continue and update the overview of the... Read more

WWF Arctic Council Conservation Scorecard II – 2019 edition

Duration: Apr 2018 - May 2019
Funding: World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF), Canada

ProjectWWF Arctic Council Scorecard – Methodology and Data Collection

iStock©Lya_Cattel

How can we improve policy monitoring of national implementation to further protect the Arctic environment and its inhabitants? With the WWF Arctic Council Scorecards, Ecologic Institute and WWF International Arctic Programme undertook the effort to provide a first... Read more

WWF Arctic Council Scorecard – Methodology and Data Collection

Duration: Jul 2016 - Feb 2017
Funding: World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF), Canada

Arctic Policies

ProjectEnvironmental Guidelines for a German Arctic Policy

| Fotolia © vadim petrakov

In the Arctic, increasing economic activities such as shipping and tourism as well as exploration and extraction of mineral resources are meeting unique, protected nature and harsh environmental conditions. In addition, the effects of climate change are much more... Read more

Environmental Guidelines for a German Arctic Policy

Duration: Jun 2017 - Jun 2019
Funding: German Environment Agency (UBA), Germany

ProjectDevelopment of Options for a German Environmental Policy for the Arctic

Development of Options for a German Environmental Policy for the Arctic

In this Project, Ecologic Institute elaborates policy options for the development of a strategy to protect the Arctic environment for the German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU). The project entails an analysis of the... Read more

Development of Options for a German Environmental Policy for the Arctic

Duration: Nov 2011 - Mar 2013
Funding: Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), Germany

ProjectArctic Footprint and Policy Assessment

Arctic Footprint and Policy Assessment

The Arctic is often referred to as the bellwether of global climate change. According to the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment and the most recent assessment from IPCC, the warming rate is twice that of the global average, with predictions of further increases leading to... Read more

Arctic Footprint and Policy Assessment

Duration: Dec 2009 - Dec 2010
Funding: European Commission, Directorate-General Environment (DG Environment), International

ProjectTransatlantic Policy Options for Supporting Adaptations in the Marine Arctic (Arctic TRANSFORM)

The Arctic TRANSFORM project developed transatlantic policy options for supporting adaptation in the marine Arctic environment based on input from more than 50 experts on Arctic policy in the areas of environmental governance, indigenous peoples, hydrocarbons, shipping,... Read more

Transatlantic Policy Options for Supporting Adaptations in the Marine Arctic (Arctic TRANSFORM)

Duration: Jan 2008 - Jun 2009
Funding: European Commission, Directorate-General for External Relations (DG Relex), International

People in the Arctic

ProjectSustainable Urban Development in the European Arctic (SUDEA)

Image by Taken from Pixabay

The worldwide trend of increasing urban population is also noticeable in Arctic cities. Regarding the unique importance of the Arctic for the global climate system the question arises, how the increasing population can be addressed while taking the environment and the... Read more

Sustainable Urban Development in the European Arctic (SUDEA)

Duration: Oct 2020 - Dec 2023
Funding: German Development Institute (DIE), Germany

ProjectCo-Creation for Biocultural Diversity in the Arctic (Dávgi)

Image by Taken from Pixabay

The Arctic plays an essential role in sustaining ecosystems worldwide. At the same time, economic, political, scientific and touristic interests in the Arctic are growing and leave a far-reaching impact on local ecosystems and residents. The DÁVGI project aims to... Read more

Co-Creation for Biocultural Diversity in the Arctic (Dávgi)

Duration: Feb 2022 - Dec 2023
Funding: Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV), Germany

ProjectEthics Advisor for the JUSTNORTH Consortium

Bild von Olena auf Pixabay

Ecologic Institute supports the Horizon 2020 project "Towards a Just, Ethical, and Sustainable Arctic" (JUSTNORTH) with Arne Riedel as an Ethics advisor. His role includes inter aliareview of the procedures regarding personal data, incl. the project's data management... Read more

Ethics Advisor for the JUSTNORTH Consortium

Duration: Jun 2020 - Nov 2023
Funding: European Commission, Research Executive Agency (REA), International

ProjectEthics Advisor for the "Arctic Research Icebreaker Consortium" (ARICE)

Ecologic Institute supports the Horizon 2020 project "Arctic Research Icebreaker Consortium" (ARICE) with Arne Riedel as an Ethics advisor. His role includes inter aliagiving advice on specific ethical issues that could occur in research projects to be conducted on the... Read more

Ethics Advisor for the "Arctic Research Icebreaker Consortium" (ARICE)

Duration: Sep 2018 - Dec 2021
Funding: Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), Germany

Arctic Knowledge and Networks

ProjectThe EU4Ocean Coalition for Ocean Literacy

The European Ocean Coalition (EU4Ocean) connects diverse organisations, projects and people that contribute to ocean literacy and the sustainable management of the ocean. Supported by the European Commission, this bottom-up inclusive initiative aims at uniting the... Read more

The EU4Ocean Coalition for Ocean Literacy

Duration: Dec 2019 - Jun 2022
Funding: European Commission Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG Maritime Affairs and Fisherie), International

ProjectArctic Winter College 2021

The Arctic Winter College was a series of weekly webinars for 60 emerging leaders and experts, bringing diverse insights, and hosted by organizer Victoria Herrmann (President and Managing Director of The Arctic Institute). It focused on the theme "Arctic on the Move."... Read more

Arctic Winter College 2021

Duration: Jan - Mar 2021
Funding

ProjectArctic Summer College 2017

The Arctic Summer College 2017 virtual campus was open to participating Arctic experts, specialists and students in July and August 2017. It provided information on a wide range of topics, including the regional impact of climate change on the Arctic, local challenges... Read more

Arctic Summer College 2017

Duration: Jul - Aug 2017
Funding: Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), Germany

All projects on Arctic

Selected Publications for Arctic

Edited Volumes

PublicationBookSustainable Urban Development in the European Arctic

Focusing on cities in the European Arctic, this book consolidates research on sustainable development, local and urban governance, and transnational cooperation in the region. It examines to what extent there is transnational cooperation between urban areas in remote... Read more

Wehrmann, D., Luszczuk, M., Radzik-Maruszak, K., Götze, J. & Riedel, A. (2025). Sustainable Urban Development in the European Arctic. Routledge.

PublicationBook SectionTransnational Cities Alliances and Their Role in Policy-Making in Sustainable Urban Development in the European Arctic

The image shows the cover of the book 'Non-state Actors in the Arctic Region,' edited by Nikolas Sellheim and Dwayne Ryan Menezes. The cover features a landscape of ice and water in the Arctic, with a soft color palette. The title is displayed in white text, and the book is published under the 'Springer Polar Sciences' series.

A research team including Arne Riedel from Ecologic Institute examines the political agency of transnational city alliances – particularly the Arctic Mayors' Forum (AMF) – and their contribution to sustainable urban development in the European Arctic.Municipalities as... Read more

Wehrmann, D., Łuszczuk, M., Radzik-Maruszak, K., Riedel, A., Götze, J. (2022). Transnational Cities Alliances and Their Role in Policy-Making in Sustainable Urban Development in the European Arctic. In: Sellheim, N., Menezes, D.R. (eds) Non-state Actors in the Arctic Region. Springer Polar Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-12459-4_6

PublicationBookArctic Summer College Yearbook

This book, edited by Ecologic Institute's Brendan O'Donnell, Max Gruenig, and Arne Riedel, highlights both the diversity of perspectives and approaches to Arctic research and the inherent interdisciplinary nature of studying and understanding this incomparable region.... Read more

O'Donnell, Brendan; Max Gruenig; Arne Riedel (Eds.) 2018: Arctic Summer College Yearbook. An Interdisciplinary Look into Arctic Sustainable Development. 1st ed. Springer International Publishing Switzerland.

PublicationBookArctic Marine Governance

The Arctic region not only plays an important role in regulating the world's climate, but is also highly affected by climate change. A new book edited by Ecologic Institute's Elizabeth Tedsen, Sandra Cavalieri, and R. Andreas Kraemer addresses the significant changes... Read more

Tedsen, Elizabeth, Sandra Cavalieri, and R. Andreas Kraemer (eds.) 2014: Arctic Marine Governance. Opportunities for Transatlantic Cooperation. Heidelberg: Springer.

Recent Articles

PublicationArticleGovernability of Regional Challenges: The Arctic Development Paradox

The advancement of governance architecture in the Arctic region and dealing with the "Arctic development paradox" have been among the most significant challenges of the circumpolar North for decades. The common denominator of both issues is the growing necessity... Read more

Michał Łuszczuk et al. 2022: Governability of Regional Challenges: The Arctic Development Paradox. Politics and Governance 2022, Volume 10, Issue 3, Pages 29–40

https://doi.org/10.17645/pag.v10i3.5341.

Project Publications

PublicationReportBaseline Study for the Implementation of Lighthouses of the Mission 'Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030'

Cover of the indedendent expert report "Baseline study for the implementation of lighthouses of the Mission ‘Restore our ocean and waters by 2030’: Atlantic, Arctic, Danube and Mediterranean lighthouses"

The objective of the EU Mission 'Restore our ocean and waters by 2030' is to provide a systemic approach for the restoration of our oceans, seas and waters by 2030. The Mission lighthouses act as hubs and platforms for the development, demonstration and deployment of... Read more

European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, Alao Chanou, Z., McColgan, O., Berbel, J., et al., Baseline study for the implementation of lighthouses of the Mission 'Restore our ocean and waters by 2030': Atlantic, Arctic, Danube and Mediterranean lighthouses, Publications Office of the European Union, 2023, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/34856

PublicationCase StudyMarine Conservation in the Alaskan Arctic

Cover of the case study "marine conservation in the Alaskan Arctic"

The Alaskan marine area of the Arctic under state management spreads across 91,000 square miles and hosts many hundreds of fish, bird and mammal species. The area is also home to around 10,000 residents, many of whom rely on the wildlife to support their livelihoods, as... Read more

Riedel, Arne, Hugh McDonald, Lina Röschel, Jan Bührke, Sira Horstkötter (2022). Marine Conservation in the Alaskan Arctic. Ecologic Institute, Berlin.

PublicationCase StudyMarine Conservation in the Canadian Arctic

Title page of the Canada ArkMPA-case study

The ocean area in the Canadian Arctic covers an equivalent of over 40% of Canada's landmass. It comprises diverse landscapes, biodiversity, and habitats and is linked to various economic activities, such as fishing, shipping, and oil and gas exploration and exploitation... Read more

Riedel, Arne, Hugh McDonald, Lina Röschel, Jan Bührke, Sira Horstkötter, and Isabel Seeger (2022). Marine Conservation in the Canadian Arctic. Ecologic Institute, Berlin.

PublicationPolicy BriefThe Arctic Blue Economy

Cover of the policy brief "The Arctic blue economy. Current state, developments, and implications for marine conservation"

Arctic marine biodiversity is under threat from climate change, as well as from economic development in sectors such as maritime transport, offshore oil and gas exploration and extraction, fishing, aquaculture, and cruise tourism. The pressures that these sectors can... Read more

Seeger, Isabel, Hugh McDonald, Nicole Wienrich and Arne Riedel (2022): The Arctic blue economy: current state, developments, and implications for marine conservation. Ecologic Institute, Berlin.

PublicationReportÖkologisch nachhaltige Nutzung mit hohen Umweltstandards in der Arktis – Umweltleitlinien deutscher Arktispolitik

The Arctic environment faces many influences that threaten its very existence: climate change and its impacts already present challenges for many ecosystems. Economic activities within the region, as fisheries, shipping, mining and transport of resources as well as... Read more

Riedel, A., Bach, I., Abhold, K., Hoffmann, H., Stephen, K., Schopmans, H., 2020: Ökologisch nachhaltige Nutzung mit hohen Umweltstandards in der Arktis – Umweltleitlinien deutscher Arktispolitik. Abschlussbericht. Umweltbundesamt, Dessau-Roßlau.

PublicationReportWWF Arctic Council Conservation Scorecard

WWF Bericht

How can we improve policy monitoring of national implementation to further protect the Arctic environment and its inhabitants? With the WWF Arctic Council Scorecards, Ecologic Institute and WWF International Arctic Programme undertook the effort to provide a first... Read more

WWF Arctic Programme (2017): WWF Arctic Council Conservation Scorecard (Rep.). Ottawa, ON.

All publications on Arctic

Selected Events for Arctic

Environment in the Arctic

EventWorkshopNavigating Arctic Futures: Adaptive Governance for Resilient Ecosystems and Communities

The Arctic is experiencing unprecedented warming; the region warms four times faster than the global average. These changes affect ecosystems at every level, from microscopic phytoplankton to fish such as the Arctic cod, which play a key role in the food web. In order... Read more

Workshop:Navigating Arctic Futures: Adaptive Governance for Resilient Ecosystems and Communities

Date: 30 October 2025
Location: online

Youth in the Arctic

EventDiscussionYouth in the Arctic: A Discussion Connecting the Leaders of Tomorrow and Today

The Arctic Climate Change Emerging Leaders Fellowship (ACCEL), Barents Regional Youth Council, Emerging Leaders in Environmental and Energy Policy Network (ELEEP), Reykjavik University, and Youth Arctic Coalition convened a workshop as well as a question and answer... Read more

Discussion:Youth in the Arctic: A Discussion Connecting the Leaders of Tomorrow and Today

Date: 31 October 2014
Location: Reykjavik, Iceland

Climate and the Arctic

EventDigital Event100 Days In: COP21 and the Arctic's Future – An Era of Energy Transition

100 days after the successful negotiation of a global climate agreement in Paris, the Arctic is facing some of the warmest winter temperatures on record. As communities face threats to personal safety, livelihood, and culture, one pressing question remains: what effect... Read more

Digital Event:100 Days In: COP21 and the Arctic's Future – An Era of Energy Transition

Date: 21 March 2016
Location: Berlin, Germany

All events on Arctic

Selected Presentations for Arctic

PresentationPanel discussionFounding Meeting of the DGP Polar Policy Working Group

On 13 and 14 February 2025, Arne Riedel and Fenja Kroos from Ecologic Institute participated in the founding meeting of the Polar Policy Working Group of the German Society for Polar Research (DGP), held in Berlin. The meeting was organised in cooperation with the... Read more

Panel discussion:Founding Meeting of the DGP Polar Policy Working Group

Date: 13 - 14 February 2025
Location: Berlin, Germany

PresentationPanel discussionGovernance Potentials and Challenges for the Polar Regions, Oceans and Outer Space

On 12 and 13 February 2025, Arne Riedel and Fenja Kroos from Ecologic Institute participated in the Network Conference of the Thematic Group "Polar and Ocean Politics", held at the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Berlin. The conference brought together scholars from a... Read more

Panel discussion:Governance Potentials and Challenges for the Polar Regions, Oceans and Outer Space

Date: 12 - 13 February 2025
Location: Berlin, Germany

PresentationChairing26th Arctic Dialogue

The 26th Arctic Dialogue took place on 6 November 2025 at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) in Berlin. The programme comprised several panels and discussion formats addressing the impacts of climate... Read more

Chairing:26th Arctic Dialogue

Date: 6 November 2025
Location: Berlin, Germany

PresentationSpeech25th Arctic Dialogue

The 25th Arctic Dialogue took place on 3 June 2025 at the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) in Potsdam and focused on international cooperation in polar research, with a particular emphasis on the 5th International Polar Year... Read more

Speech:25th Arctic Dialogue

Date: 3 June 2025
Location: Potsdam, Germany

PresentationSpeech24th Arctic Dialogue

The 24th Arctic Dialogue took place on 4 November 2024 at the Nordic Embassies in Berlin. The meeting was organised by the German Arctic Office in cooperation with the Royal Norwegian Embassy and provided space for a roundtable discussion on current Arctic policy issues... Read more

Speech:24th Arctic Dialogue

Date: 4 November 2024
Location: Berlin, Germany

PresentationSpeech23rd Arctic Dialogue

The 23rd Arctic Dialogue took place on 26 June 2024 at the German Federal Foreign Office in Berlin. It was jointly organised by the German Arctic Office and the Federal Foreign Office and brought together representatives from federal ministries, authorities, scientific... Read more

Speech:23rd Arctic Dialogue

Date: 26 June 2024
Location: Berlin, Germany

All presentations on Arctic

Adaptation
Agriculture
Arctic
Biodiversity
Bioeconomy
Cities
Climate
Climate Foreign Policy
Coastal + Marine
Communication
Consumer Policy
Culture + Ecology
Digitalization
EU
Economics
Education
Energy
Environmental Law – Ecologic Legal
Evaluation
Events
Finance
Food
Foreign Policy
Governance
Health
Indicators
Industry
International Development
Land Use
Mobility
Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure
Plastics
Public Diplomacy
Resource Conservation + Circular Economy
Trade
Water