WWF-Canada urges Arctic GLACIER conference delegates to let northerners do the talking

Toronto, August 31, 2015 – Today, the U.S. Department of State is hosting international leaders in Anchorage, Alaska at the Conference on Global Leadership in the Arctic: Co-operation, Innovation, Engagement and Resilience (GLACIER). Foreign ministers and high-level leaders from all eight Arctic nations will attend, along with representatives from countries and intergovernmental agencies with strong interests in the Arctic. 

WWF-Canada is calling attention to issues in need of international co-operation as we seek to support the economic needs of Arctic communities, reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and prevent ecosystem-damaging industrial activities in the region.

The following is a statement from WWF-Canada President and CEO David Miller on the need for foreign leaders to use GLACIER as an opportunity to learn from those who have been most affected by climate change—northerners:

“Global warming is affecting the Arctic faster than anywhere else on Earth, putting northerners on the front lines of the battle to slow climate change. It is our hope that GLACIER delegates will use this meeting to listen to the voices of those who have watched their lands change, who have witnessed the retreating sea ice and its effects on the ecosystem, and who can provide real insight into the consequences of continuing down the energy-hungry path on which we presently find ourselves. If we are to truly attain global leadership in the Arctic, we must start by acting on the knowledge of those who call this region home.”

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For further information contact

Megan Nesseth, Communications Specialist – Arctic, WWF-Canada
[email protected]
(416) 904-2482