GETTING IT RIGHT IN A NEW OCEAN: BRINGING SUSTAINABLE BLUE ECONOMY PRINCIPLES TO THE ARCTIC REPORT 2018

The report examines the 'Blue Economy' of the Arctic, categorizing its resources into extractive, renewable, biological, connective, and experiential types. It highlights the immense investment potential—estimated up to US$1 trillion—and the accompanying risks of ecological collapse and social vulnerability. Through a SWOT analysis, the document identifies rapid climate change and a reliance on fossil fuel extraction as primary threats, while noting opportunities in the 'Blue Bio-Economy' and the potential to build sustainable infrastructure from the start. It concludes with six key recommendations for governments, investors, and Indigenous Peoples to ensure long-term ecosystem resilience and inclusive governance.

• The Arctic is experiencing rapid warming, with temperatures in some areas reaching 20 degrees C above average in 2016 and 2017, leading to a projection that the ocean could be effectively ice-free in the summer by 2040.
• Investment interest in the region is massive, with estimates suggesting up to US$1 trillion could be invested in the coming decades, and over US$600 billion in projects already planned according to Guggenheim Partners.
• The Arctic holds significant undiscovered energy reserves, estimated at 22 per cent of the Earth's undiscovered oil and natural gas, with approximately 85 per cent of these located offshore.
• Industrial fishing is the dominant biological economic activity, accounting for more than 90 per cent of the Arctic fish catch, though the region's total catch typically represents just over 6 per cent of the global total by weight.
• Shipping traffic is increasing as ice retreats; reported ship casualties in Arctic waters increased tenfold between 2005 and 2014, with a further 29 per cent increase from 2015 to 2016.
• Tourism is growing rapidly in some areas, particularly Iceland, where overnight stays increased by nearly 400 per cent over 15 years, though growth is less pronounced in Greenland, Canada, Alaska, and Russia.
• The 'Blue Bio-Economy' offers sustainable growth opportunities through the high-value use of marine biomass, such as using fish processing residues for chemicals or farming microalgae for biofuels and cosmetics.
• Arctic ecosystems are highly vulnerable to 'regime shifts' or tipping points; the Arctic Resilience Report identified 19 such points that could undermine stability in systems ranging from the Greenland ice sheet to fisheries productivity.
• Regional governance is currently insufficient to steer development sustainably, as the Arctic Council lacks binding authority and many critical decisions are made by distant national governments or multinational corporations.
• Indigenous populations face significant vulnerabilities, exemplified by Nunavut, which has the highest documented rate of food insecurity for any Indigenous population in a developed country, with 57 per cent of children in food-insecure households.

APA

A., A., T., A., C., T., & A., C. (2018). GETTING IT RIGHT IN A NEW OCEAN: BRINGING SUSTAINABLE BLUE ECONOMY PRINCIPLES TO THE ARCTIC REPORT 2018. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/694/9oqplo7axv_report_arctic_blue_economy_web.pdf

Chicago

A., Atkisson,, Arnbom, T., Tesar, C., and Christensen, A. GETTING IT RIGHT IN A NEW OCEAN: BRINGING SUSTAINABLE BLUE ECONOMY PRINCIPLES TO THE ARCTIC REPORT 2018. WWF International, 2018. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/694/9oqplo7axv_report_arctic_blue_economy_web.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=A. |first1=Atkisson, |last2=T. |first2=Arnbom, |last3=C. |first3=Tesar, |last4=A. |first4=Christensen, |title=GETTING IT RIGHT IN A NEW OCEAN: BRINGING SUSTAINABLE BLUE ECONOMY PRINCIPLES TO THE ARCTIC REPORT 2018 |publisher=WWF International |date=November 2018 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/694/9oqplo7axv_report_arctic_blue_economy_web.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{a2018getting, author = {A., Atkisson, and T., Arnbom, and C., Tesar, and A., Christensen,}, title = {{GETTING IT RIGHT IN A NEW OCEAN: BRINGING SUSTAINABLE BLUE ECONOMY PRINCIPLES TO THE ARCTIC REPORT 2018}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2018}, month = nov, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/694/9oqplo7axv_report_arctic_blue_economy_web.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }