© sarkophoto / iStock

Oil and Gas

The Arctic already supplies the world with roughly 10 per cent of its oil and 25 per cent of its natural gas, mostly from onshore sources. It is also estimated to hold 22 per cent of the Earth’s undiscovered oil and natural gas reserves.

But those reserves need to remain untouched. Oil and gas extraction disturbs ecosystems, endangers wildlife and threatens the global climate system.

Why are we concerned?

Exploring and exploiting oil and gas in the Arctic goes against the Paris Agreement goal to stay within the 1.5°C limit of global warming. Global emissions must peak immediately and begin a swift decline if we are to stay within the remaining carbon budget.

To limit global warming, it is crucial to decarbonize the global economy and eliminate the use of fossil fuels as quickly as possible, especially in the Arctic. Arctic oil and gas exploration also poses a tremendous risk to vulnerable Arctic ecosystems and communities. If pursued, it will damage fisheries, tourism and other sustainable economic activities.

How do oil and gas development threaten the Arctic?

© Canon / Brutus Östling / WWF-Sweden

The climate emergency will intensify

Drilling for more oil and gas will worsen the global climate crisis. The effects of Arctic change are already being felt far beyond the Arctic. With Arctic temperatures rising by 3°C  to 10°C by the end of the century, the region’s role as the global refrigerator and vault for ice and carbon will diminish or end, driving rising sea levels and temperatures higher, acidifying the oceans and causing severe weather events worldwide.

© Kevin Schafer / WWF

Species and ecosystems are at risk

The Arctic’s climate is changing nearly three times more quickly than the rest of the planet, causing extensive habitat destruction and declines in snow- and ice-dependent species.

Offshore oil exploration, drilling and production threaten the fish and marine mammals that Indigenous Peoples in the Arctic rely on, and the infrastructure related to these industries, such as pipelines, can negatively impact other species and their habitats.

© Canon / Brutus Östling / WWF-Sweden

Underwater noise pollution threatens marine animals

The diminishing sea ice is opening the Arctic Ocean to increased shipping and infrastructure development for oil and gas exploration. Propeller cavitation from shipping, sonar from navy vessels in search of new oil and gas sources, and construction noise as new infrastructure is built all emit sounds that penetrate deep into the ocean, increasing underwater noise pollution.

This changes the behaviours of marine mammals, particularly whales. It can cause hearing loss, inflict physiological stress, disrupt feeding, make it difficult for mothers to find their young, and even scare off fish—the main prey of most Arctic whales.

© Canon / Brutus Östling / WWF-Sweden

Spill response is slow and clean-up impossible

The Arctic’s marine ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to oil spills from blowouts, pipeline leaks or shipping accidents. The lack of infrastructure and remoteness of the area mean it can take days or weeks to respond to a spill, and clean-up can be ineffective. Local environments can be ruined for decades, effectively wiping out local populations of certain species and affecting local people’s livelihoods and food security.

© Chris Linder / WWF-US

The economic benefits of oil drilling are oversold

The costs of drilling for oil in the Arctic don’t make sense. The liability for clean-up and accidents is high compared to the return on any investment, and there are few benefits for Arctic communities. The Arctic is already a net exporter of energy, yet many inhabitants of the Arctic lack affordable and reliable heating and electricity services.

In addition, right now, Arctic governments are subsidizing oil and gas production instead of investing those funds into a renewable future. Arctic stakeholders and rights owners need support to create models of sustainable development that focus on meeting the region’s needs while making sustainable use of local and regional resources.

Solutions

© Kseniia Iartceva /Arctic Council Secretariat

Switch to renewable energy

We urgently need to transition towards a 100 per cent renewable future by developing clean energy sources. Governments need to finance renewable resources for Arctic communities through programmes and incentives, including by redirecting existing subsidies for fossil fuel production and consumption and by promoting international cooperation to advance renewable energy provision.

Investments in renewable energy have the potential to bring about great opportunities—from exciting technologies to new commercial and employment opportunities.

Financial institutions should align their investments with Paris Agreement pathways and should decline to invest in companies and Arctic projects that are not in keeping with the 1.5°C threshold.

© Mike Beauregard / Flickr

Make a just transition to greener economies

The world economy needs systems change and restructuring, and we have to make sure that this transition does not destroy our valuable nature. All energy production, whether it is based on fossil fuels or renewables, comes with some cost to nature as well as to the people who live near energy production or resource extraction sites.

Ensuring that the transition is just—and that it respects the rights of local and Indigenous communities—means designing and applying mutually reinforcing environmental and social policies.

Because oil and gas extraction—particularly onshore—is currently a part of many local Arctic economies, the phase-out of drilling should be accompanied by measures to stimulate new, greener economies, creating both revenues and jobs.

© Staffan Widstrand / WWF

Protect ecologically valuable areas

Ecologically valuable areas, like the Lofoten and Vesteraalen islands of coastal Norway, the West Kamchatka Shelf in Russia, and the waters of Alaska’s Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, should be withdrawn from offshore oil and gas development immediately and permanently.

The Arctic’s unique ecosystems provide food, livelihoods and cultural identity for the four million people who live in the region. Maintaining a healthy and diverse web of life in the Arctic—from zooplankton to fish, whales and seabirds—contributes to the well-being of nature and people around the world.

Governments must empower and finance Indigenous and local communities to develop forward-looking strategies by using science-based, local, and Indigenous knowledge.

 

© Clive Tesar / WWF

Quiet the oceans

With the Arctic experiencing never-before-seen levels of ship traffic and underwater noise due to oil and gas drilling and exploration, governments and international agencies must act now to put mandatory measures in place globally that will protect sensitive marine species and ecosystems.

Oil and gas seismic testing, which can damage the hearing of marine mammals, cannot be allowed in key wildlife habitat.

What is the WWF Arctic Programme doing?

WWF is against new exploration and production of oil and gas globally. By 2030, oil and gas production are scaled down in the Arctic, and renewable energy is meeting a significant share of local energy needs.

© Bab Lawrence / Flickr

Working to phase out Arctic oil and gas

We are pushing all Arctic countries to adopt Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) containing credible net-zero targets that are compatible with their share of the carbon budget corresponding to the 1.5° C target. These countries should set out clear plans to transition away from oil and gas extraction. They should lead the world in moving away from fossil fuels and reducing their use of short-lived climate pollutants (in particular black carbon and methane) beyond the currently agreed targets.

WWF works to highlight the climate and environmental risks associated with investment in fossil fuels and to help governments and investors prioritize renewable energy instead.

 

 

© WWF Global Arctic Programme

Implementing ArcNet—a vision, network and tool for marine conservation

If we let it, nature can help us adapt and buffer us against the impacts of a warmer world. It can protect communities from extreme weather events, absorb and store carbon, and be a source of food and livelihoods. WWF has produced ArcNet, an ocean-spanning network of marine conservation areas in the Arctic that supports resilience for Arctic biodiversity and gives nature some elbow room to adapt to the inevitable changes.

ArcNet is a map that shows the vision for a network of priority areas that governments and communities need to conserve throughout the Arctic Ocean. ArcNet is also a concrete tool for marine planning and management. ArcNet considers a region’s marine ecosystems and how they function, then suggests the best way forward to support a healthy and biodiverse Arctic.

© naturepl.com / Doc White / WWF

Working to reduce underwater noise pollution

The WWF Arctic Programme is working towards robust, precautionary regulation, backed by science, to safeguard marine mammals and other noise-sensitive species from the increasing threats of underwater noise pollution. We are doing this by identifying sound sanctuaries that protect important habitats, such as calving and feeding areas and migration routes. The International Maritime Organization must recognize underwater noise pollution as a pollutant and must be mandated to reduce its impacts.

© Elisabeth Kruger / WWF-US

Advocating for the complete phase out of oil-based fuel

Oil-based fuels present unacceptable risk to the Arctic through air pollution and the risk of spills. The effects of climate change, especially thawing permafrost, are likely to aggravate these risks.

We are pushing for faster decarbonization of Arctic shipping fuels, going beyond the low ambition of the global regulatory framework. We will also urge private companies, ideally at the pan-Arctic level, to stop using oil-based fuels, even as backup.

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