- June 18, 2026
- ; 08:30
- -
- June 18, 2026
- ; 10:00
The Arctic is emerging as one of the most strategically significant regions of the 21st century. Accelerating climate change, increasing geopolitical competition, evolving security dynamics, and growing economic interests are transforming the region and elevating its importance for transatlantic partners.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has fundamentally altered the geopolitical landscape of the Arctic. Long-standing channels of cooperation have been disrupted, military activity in the High North has increased, and Arctic governance structures are facing unprecedented challenges. At the same time, Arctic states continue to share a common interest in maintaining regional stability, preserving scientific cooperation, protecting the fragile environment, and ensuring sustainable economic development.
For Canada, the Arctic is central to national sovereignty, security, and identity. For Germany, the region has gained increasing strategic relevance through its implications for European security, climate policy, international trade, scientific cooperation, and global governance.
Against this backdrop, Aspen Institute Germany and the Embassy of Canada to Germany will convene a high-level breakfast discussion with Virginia Mearns, Arctic Ambassador of Canada, Dr. Volker Rachold, Head of German Arctic Office at the Alfred Wegener Institute, Dr. Michael Paul, Senior Research Fellow, SWP and Lisa Badum, MdB, Bündnis 90/die Grünen.
The Key Takeaways from the Event were:
The Arctic is increasingly shaped by the intersection of climate change and geopolitical competition: Climate change is opening new shipping routes and access to natural resources, while Russia’s war against Ukraine has fundamentally transformed the region’s security environment.
Long-term Arctic governance requires Indigenous communities as equal partners: Participants emphasized that effective policy-making, research, and sustainable economic development depend on integrating Indigenous knowledge alongside scientific expertise and ensuring Indigenous communities play a meaningful role in decision-making.
Scientific cooperation remains strategically important despite geopolitical fragmentation: Science continues to provide the evidence base for understanding rapid environmental change and informing policy-making. At the same time, participants acknowledged that the suspension of cooperation with Russia has created significant knowledge gaps, making the preservation of scientific exchange wherever possible an important long-term interest.
