Presentations by Streams

Research project by the Fridtjof Nansen Institute, Climate change in Russia’s Arctic: Perceptions, response, implications, investigates Russian perceptions and interpretations of climate change in the Arctic and responses in terms of policy and adaptive measures. Our key concept is knowledge. We examine it from the state, social and scientific points of view asking: What are the main sources of knowledge on climate change and its impacts found in the Russian societal debate and policy development, and how are companies active in the Russian Arctic using this knowledge? Our research on societal knowledge suggests that both anthropogenic and cyclical perceptions as the origins of climate change persist, and that benefits from climate change are still expected while climate science is perceived as the most important source of knowledge by educated Russian interviewees. While there is an official climate adaptation policy, economic adaptation to international climate politics has come to the forefront, raising questions of the need for structural change in the Russian economy. The discontinuation of work in the Arctic Council as a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine can have serious impact on climate science: lack of access to Russian climate data and reduced inputs from international climate science in Russia. Big Russian companies operating in the Arctic find themselves in a precarious situation mainly because of the war, but they still have to consider direct threats to their operations from thawing permafrost. They also realize that any future role in international markets will be affected by their adoption of ESG standards.