On 15 April, the RIFS research group reIMAGINE Arctic Research hosted a screening of the documentary “Orgusiak – The White Gold of Greenland”, directed by Otto Rosing and Claus Pilehave, as part of a workshop on creative research methods and the unsettling of dominant narratives through film. The screening and discussion were led by professor Dr. Naja Dyrendom Graugaard in her roles as both associate professor at Copenhagen University, focusing on critical Inuit studies and (de)colonial relations between Denmark and Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland), and as the lead protagonist of the film, sharing her family history.

Oil and gas geologists are key knowledge holders, producers and actors in the heavily contested story of oil and gas resources in the Arctic regions. These individuals receive surprisingly little attention despite the fact that they will continuie to occupy a vital and authoritative position as energy systems evolve and the focus on certain resources becomes more intense.

Facilitating Spaces that Center Indigenous Perspectives and Participation in International Arctic Conferences

At the end of February 2023, the research project DÁVGI: Co-creation for biocultural diversity in the Arctic held the second in a series of workshops aimed at further establishing and strengthening CO-CREATE, a collective of like-minded Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers.

Green hydrogen (H2) is often portrayed as a key component for the green energy transition, since it is produced with renewable energy through electrolysis – the splitting up of freshwater into hydrogen and oxygen – and does not emit carbon dioxide when combusted. Not only does green hydrogen harbour huge potential for the decarbonization of hard-to-abate sectors (e.g. steelmaking and production of fertilizers) as well as maritime shipping and aviation, its use as an energy storage solution makes it particularly promising for remote and sparsely populated areas with an abundance of renewable energy resources.

Climate change in the Arctic is unfolding twice as rapidly as in other parts of the world. This poses various challenges for the sustainable development of Northern communities and companies. The European research project Blue-Action evaluates the impact of climate change in the Arctic and develops new techniques to improve forecast accuracy. As part of a case study of the Yamal region in Russia, researchers are exploring the roles, perceptions and interests of various stakeholder groups in the sustainable development of the Arctic. Elena Nikitina, head of the Center for Global Economy at IMEMO, recently visited the IASS and provided insights into the formation of adaptive governance in the Arctic.