securing a sustainable future in the arctic

This executive summary describes the Circumpolar Young Leaders (CYL) program and other initiatives aimed at training the next generation of northern leaders to address sustainable development in the Arctic. It identifies systemic barriers facing northern youth and recommends a coordinated regional strategy to build leadership capacity through education, mentorship, and increased indigenous ownership of training programs.

• The Circumpolar Young Leaders (CYL) program, launched by IISD in 1999, provides experiential learning to young northerners to build capacity in Arctic issues, leadership, and communications. A 2008 survey of former participants indicated that 72% felt the program fast-tracked their career development and 72% were working on sustainability issues in the North.
• Various organizations provide diverse training for northern youth, including scholarships from Diavik Diamond Mines Inc., learning expeditions like Students on Ice, and internships through NSERC and the Yukon Grad Corps. Collectively, these programs have seen nearly 600 participants over 11 years, helping youth complete high school, pursue post-secondary education, and acquire skills in geo-political awareness and intercultural communication.
• The Arctic region is facing significant environmental and socio-economic shifts, including the rapid loss of Arctic ice, industrial expansion in oil, gas, mining, and forestry, and shifting geo-political claims to exclusive economic zones. These changes necessitate a new generation of leaders who can represent community realities to regional regimes.
• Youth represent a critical demographic for the future of the North, making up more than half of the Arctic's indigenous population. Specifically, those under age 30 constitute 62% of the population in Nunavut, 48% in the Northwest Territories, and 38% in the Yukon.
• Young people in the North face eight primary barriers to leadership development: a southern-biased formal education curriculum, stress on community and family support, a shortage of northern role models due to imported professionals, low self-confidence, a feeling of being tokenized by government leaders, lack of community-level programming, limited awareness of opportunities, and difficulty transitioning from entry-level to mid-level positions.
• To improve leadership capacity, the document recommends that northern governments create a Regional Leadership Strategy and that leadership skills be integrated into all education levels. Other recommendations include establishing a Training Centre for Indigenous Peoples of the North managed by indigenous groups, expanding post-secondary education—including the creation of a university in the North—and increasing mentorship and youth participation in decision-making processes.

APA

buckler, C., wright, L., & normand, L. (2009). securing a sustainable future in the arctic. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/securing_sustainable_future_arctic_sum.pdf

Chicago

buckler, carolee, linda wright, and laura normand. securing a sustainable future in the arctic. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2009. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/securing_sustainable_future_arctic_sum.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=buckler |first1=carolee |last2=wright |first2=linda |last3=normand |first3=laura |title=securing a sustainable future in the arctic |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2009 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/securing_sustainable_future_arctic_sum.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{buckler2009securing, author = {buckler, carolee and wright, linda and normand, laura}, title = {{securing a sustainable future in the arctic}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2009}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/securing_sustainable_future_arctic_sum.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }