Trudeau-Obama Climate Announcement Sets Stage for End to Arctic Drilling

Today,Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Barack Obama set a landmark precedent for the protection of Arctic waters. In addition to calling for all Arctic nations to develop a pan-Arctic network of marine protected areas, the leaders agreed to make it consistent with international and domestic climate goals. This is a key test for proposed commercial activities in Arctic waters, especially offshore oil and gas drilling projects.

In response to today’s news, Greenpeace UK Executive Director John Sauven said:

“This historic announcement is a serious step towards full protection for the Arctic. It shows we’re getting close to the point of ending the hunt for new oil. Melting ice is no longer an invitation for more industrial activity in the Arctic – it’s the reason that we need to urgently stop.

“If marine protection is put at the heart of Arctic states decision making in future, it will mean a halt to destructive industrial fishing and all oil exploration in the region”.

“The US and Canadian Governments are now looking at the fossil fuel industries through a new lens.  There is no way that drilling for oil in the ice covered waters of the Arctic is compatible with the climate agreement that global leaders signed in Paris. The commitment by Obama and Trudeau to ‘building a sustainable Arctic economy’ makes it clearer than ever that Arctic oil must stay in the ground”.

“This is a positive first step. Now the UK Government should add its weight for climate protection in the Arctic by opposing new oil exploration in the Arctic by British based oil companies”.

Ends

For more information, as well as interview requests for Greenpeace or Professor Roberts, please contact:

Sol Gosetti, Press Officer, Greenpeace UK, +447807352020, sol.gosetti@greenpeace.org