Sustainable Development Working Group

The Arctic Council is well represented at #COP29 with the Chair of the Arctic Council Senior Arctic Officials Morten Høglund, Inuit Circumpolar Council (Canada), and AMAP - The Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme.

The SDWG, ARENA program onsite visits captured through the lens of photographer Jesse Delgrosse at The Capital Collective inspires us all.

Guess who visited ACEP this summer? The Arctic Remote Energy Networks Academy cohort! We just had to share their experience meeting each other and Alaska's energy experts! Read all about it at: https://lnkd.in/gEh5FBAm Learn more about ARENA: https://arena.alaska.edu/ #ACEP #cohort #ARENA #energy

The ARENA Program has successfully completed an impactful series of visits, bringing together the ARENA III Cohort across breathtaking regions of Alaska, Canada and Greenland to share knowledge about energy development in the circumpolar north. The Cohort will continue to deepen their journey and commitment to #sustainablenergysolutions with a final onsite visit in Iceland in February 2025, still empowering rural and remote Arctic communities, from hands-on learning experiences to high-level discussions with communities, local experts and Indigenous leaders. Each step taken is a testament to the commitment to drive meaningful change for Indigenous energy sovereignty in northern and Arctic communities. ✨ Thank you to all partners Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP), RCAANC-CIRNAC (Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada), University of Alaska Fairbanks, ARENA III Cohort participants, local hosts, presenters and speakers who continue to make this incredible experience possible. Additional thanks to Carolyn Kozak Loeffler, Robert Cooke, Sarah Cox, Jesse Delgrosse, The Capital Collective, Anna Arambulo Martz, and Ludvik Georgsson. #ARENA-2024

Understanding the perspectives of all stakeholders is vital for integrating projects into remote communities. The ARENA 2024 Cohort were joined by the CEOs and leaders of Yukon Energy, NTPC, ATCO, QEC and Tarquti to discuss challenges, opportunities and community partnerships and engagement.

We're delighted to receive reflections about the 2024-25 ARENA program from Anna Soer, PhD Candidate, University of Ottawa, Canada.

🌍 Join us at the Arctic Circle Assembly 2024 in Reykjavík! The SDWG, the Arctic Council Norwegian Chairship, Permanent Participants and Working Groups, will share insights on key topics, including: ✨ Gender Equality in the Arctic 🔥 Wildland Fires in the Arctic 🧠 Youth Mental Well-being ♻️ Solid Waste Management in Arctic Communities These sessions not only focus on vital issues impacting Arctic communities, Indigenous Peoples, and youth but will contribute to shaping the future of the Arctic. The project icons visually display the strategic connections between thematic areas. Icons courtesy of Gwich'in Council International, Permanent Participants of the Arctic Council. Stay tuned for more! #Arctic #ArcticCircle #Assembly2024

The registration for the Arctic Youth Conference 2025 in Tromsø/Romsa is now open! Sign up for an inspiring event focused on empowering Arctic youth and shaping the future of the region. Don't miss this chance to connect, share, and make an impact. Read more and register from the link below 👇 https://lnkd.in/dg8nau-6

SDWG long-term collaborator Dr. Allison Crawford and SDWG Canadian Head of Delegation Sarah Cox engaged in discussions with esteemed experts about advances and challenges to digital solutions in healthcare for Northern and Indigenous communities in the Arctic region at Arctic Frontiers Abroad in Ottawa, Canada. Yesterday’s event explored the potential of digital health solutions to meet the unique needs of rural and remote Arctic communities. Key messages: 📌 Trust is fundamental when implementing any health solution in Indigenous and local Arctic communities. Healthcare providers and organizations must engage in meaningful and respectful, ongoing dialogue, that actively involves communities. 📌 One-size-fits-all solutions often fail in Arctic communities due to their unique social, cultural, and environmental contexts. Successful digital health initiatives must be co-designed with the communities they serve, ensuring that the solutions are adapted to local health priorities, languages, and cultural practices. 📌 Digital health solutions must account for significant infrastructure limitations, unreliable internet connectivity, limited access to healthcare practitioners and facilities, and geographical isolation, including potential barriers to building trust over digital platforms. 📌 Peer-to-peer support networks, where individuals with lived experiences provide guidance and support to other community members, can be highly effective in Indigenous and local communities in the Arctic region. The SDWG continues to prioritize culturally informed projects with Permanent Participants of the Arctic Council that focus on health and youth mental health and well-being to ensure thriving Arctic communities through projects like Local2Global and CREATeS. Thank you to Arctic Frontiers Anu Fredrikson and Jenny Turton for an invitation to participate in this event https://lnkd.in/eFyd5FMQ. Photos: Courtesy of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Ottawa and the SDWG Secretariat.

SDWG long-term collaborator Dr. Allison Crawford and SDWG Canadian Head of Delegation Sarah Cox engaged in discussions with esteemed experts about advances and challenges to digital solutions in healthcare for Northern and Indigenous communities in the Arctic region at Arctic Frontiers Abroad in Ottawa, Canada. Yesterday’s event explored the potential of digital health solutions to meet the unique needs of rural and remote Arctic communities. Key messages: 📌 Trust is fundamental when implementing any health solution in Indigenous and local Arctic communities. Healthcare providers and organizations must engage in meaningful and respectful, ongoing dialogue, that actively involves communities. 📌 One-size-fits-all solutions often fail in Arctic communities due to their unique social, cultural, and environmental contexts. Successful digital health initiatives must be co-designed with the communities they serve, ensuring that the solutions are adapted to local health priorities, languages, and cultural practices. 📌 Digital health solutions must account for significant infrastructure limitations, unreliable internet connectivity, limited access to healthcare practitioners and facilities, and geographical isolation, including potential barriers to building trust over digital platforms. 📌 Peer-to-peer support networks, where individuals with lived experiences provide guidance and support to other community members, can be highly effective in Indigenous and local communities in the Arctic region. The SDWG continues to prioritize culturally informed projects with Permanent Participants of the Arctic Council that focus on health and youth mental health and well-being to ensure thriving Arctic communities through projects like Local2Global and CREATeS. Thank you to Arctic Frontiers for an invitation to participate in this event. Photos: Courtesy of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Ottawa