Washington, D.C. — On September 28, ministers from eight Arctic nations, 14 additional countries, and the European Union gathered with Arctic indigenous representatives at the White House to improve the world’s understanding of regional and global threats from rapid Arctic warming. Center for American Progress Senior Fellow Cathleen Kelly said the following about the summit outcomes:
At the White House Arctic summit, science ministers and indigenous leaders spotlighted rapid Arctic temperature rises that, if left unchecked, could set off an unstoppable chain reaction of warming with grave repercussions for sea ice, permafrost, the Greenland ice sheet, sea levels, the world’s coastal communities, and global weather systems. Arctic summit attendees made important progress toward averting a full Arctic meltdown by committing to better inform national emission reduction and adaptation policies with stronger Arctic data, models, and projections, an integrated Arctic-observing system, and traditional and local knowledge. With little time left to avoid unmanageable Arctic and global warming, science ministers have a responsibility to ensure that policy leaders are well-equipped with cutting-edge science on Arctic warming threats as they convene in 2018 to take stock of collective progress on meeting the Paris Agreement goals and as world leaders put forward, as early as 2020, new national climate commitments.
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