On February 22nd, Professor Berit Kristoffersen from the Arctic Centre for Sustainable Energy (ARC) and the University of Tromsø, gave a talk for an audience of 20 people discussing speculative geographies in the ongoing offshore exploration of hydrocarbons and deep sea minerals in the Norwegian North. Examining the Arctic as a frontier for resource extraction and large-scale commercial deep-sea mining, Kristoffersen delved into the complex interplay between geopolitics, environmental concerns, and economic interests in the Arctic region.
Kristoffersen introduced Norway’s new areas for exploration in Svalbard which opened on January 9, 2024. Kristoffersen highlighted the prospect of the “workable arctic” and the “digital arctic", the former referring to the geography and landscape of the exploratory areas in Svalbard and the latter referring to new environmental sensing technologies developed to conduct deep-sea mining.
Afterwards, Kristoffersen introduced the idea of the “ice age drama”, which refers to the political maneuvering surrounding the delineation of the ice edge on maps. Kristoffersen stressed the increasing geopolitical tensions between Russia and Norway over Svalbard, underscoring contested sovereignty issues in the region. The differing approaches to these extractive initiatives were also discussed, with the EU prioritizing mineral recycling, while the U.S. focuses on meeting global economic demand and scaling up domestic production. Further, Kristoffersen also mentioned the shifting environmental discourse, with the European Parliament criticizing Norway's deep-sea mining plans over concerns about the Arctic's fragile biodiversity and ecosystems. While these political divisions were noted, Kristoffersen also alluded to a divide in Norwegian politics, with conservative forces supporting Arctic resource extraction, whereas the liberal opposition opposes such a policy.
Finally, Kristoffersen concluded with the notion of “mineral independence”, the importance of incentivizing new technology that would make mineral extraction cleaner, cheaper, safer, and more sustainable. Kristoffersen stressed the need for a holistic approach to Arctic resource governance, as Kristoffersen stated, that balances sustainability, geopolitical stability, and local community interests in navigating the Arctic's evolving landscape.