Submission to the EU Arctic Policy Consultation

The IISD recommends that the EU uphold its Arctic fossil fuel extraction moratorium to ensure energy security, protect fragile ecosystems, and maintain policy coherence with the European Green Deal. The document argues that Arctic fossil fuels are too expensive, high-risk, and slow to develop to be viable, noting that new fields would only become operational after the EU should have advanced its net-zero pathway. It further suggests phasing out imports from the Barents and northern Norwegian seas to reduce security risks and align with partners like Canada and Greenland, who have implemented similar bans.

• The EU should maintain its Arctic fossil fuel moratorium because new production fields would not become operational until the EU is already well advanced on its net-zero pathway, noting that the average time from discovery to production on the Norwegian shelf is 13 years.
• Arctic fossil fuels are not an affordable energy option for Europe, costing approximately USD 75 per barrel compared to USD 48.5 for conventional oil from other regions.
• Expanding oil and gas in the Arctic increases risks of oil spills, leakages, and underwater noise, which threaten biodiversity in a region where weather conditions make industrial or maritime accident response and cleanup specifically difficult.
• Maintaining the moratorium reduces security risks, particularly in the Barents Sea, which is shared between Norway and Russia and is considered a vulnerable area due to geopolitical changes.
• The EU's commitment to a moratorium aligns with other Arctic partners; Canada introduced a moratorium on Arctic offshore oil and gas licensing in 2019 (extended in 2023), and Greenland enacted a ban on oil and gas exploration in 2021.

APA

Jones, N., & Yanguas, P. (2026). Submission to the EU Arctic Policy Consultation. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-03/submission-eu-arctic-policy.pdf

Chicago

Jones, Natalie, and Paola Yanguas. Submission to the EU Arctic Policy Consultation. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2026. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-03/submission-eu-arctic-policy.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Jones |first1=Natalie |last2=Yanguas |first2=Paola |title=Submission to the EU Arctic Policy Consultation |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=March 2026 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-03/submission-eu-arctic-policy.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{jones2026submission, author = {Jones, Natalie and Yanguas, Paola}, title = {{Submission to the EU Arctic Policy Consultation}}, publisher = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2026}, month = mar, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-03/submission-eu-arctic-policy.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }