Arctic Climate Governance: Can the Canary in the Coal Mine Lift Canada’s Head Out of the Sand(s)?

Timothy Stephens and David VanderZwaag, eds, Polar Oceans Governance in An Era of Environmental Change (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2014).

20 Pages Posted: 15 Jul 2012 Last revised: 14 Apr 2020

See all articles by Meinhard Doelle

Meinhard Doelle

Dalhousie University - Schulich School of Law; Dalhousie University - Marine and Environmental Law Institute; World Maritime University (WMU)

Date Written: July 14, 2012

Abstract

This paper considers Canada’s climate policy at the federal and territorial levels of government in light of the accelerated impacts and vulnerability of Canada’s Arctic region. The paper considers the level of awareness of current and expected future climate impacts in the Arctic, and the effect of this awareness on climate policy. Climate policy is considered in three broad areas, climate adaptation, climate mitigation and the effect on each jurisdiction’s development path. The paper concludes that there is good awareness of the current and predicted future impacts of climate change in all jurisdictions studied. For reasons explored in the paper, this awareness of the particular vulnerability has not, to date, resulted in climate policy innovation in Canada’s Arctic jurisdictions, and there is no evidence that it has influenced national climate policy in Canada.

Keywords: Climate Policy, Arctic, Canada

Suggested Citation

Doelle, Meinhard, Arctic Climate Governance: Can the Canary in the Coal Mine Lift Canada’s Head Out of the Sand(s)? (July 14, 2012). Timothy Stephens and David VanderZwaag, eds, Polar Oceans Governance in An Era of Environmental Change (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2014)., Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2106157 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2106157

Meinhard Doelle (Contact Author)

Dalhousie University - Schulich School of Law ( email )

6061 University Avenue
6061 University Ave
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4H9
Canada

Dalhousie University - Marine and Environmental Law Institute ( email )

6061 University Avenue
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4H9
Canada

World Maritime University (WMU) ( email )

Fiskehamnsgatan 1
P. O. Box 500
Malmö, Skane 20124
Sweden

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