Check against delivery

(Acknowledgments of Arctic leaders, elders, others, as appropriate –ie. Sheila Watt Cloutier, Klaus Toepfer will be there)

Good morning everyone.

Canada, as an Arctic nation, is proud to support the first Arctic Day. This is an opportunity to bring the Arctic to this forum and highlight both scientific, traditional knowledge and the culture of Northern indigenous peoples.

I would like to thank the many Elders who have come from so far to be a part of this day to share their invaluable and traditional knowledge with us. I’d also like to thank Liseanne Forand from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Jose Kusugak, President of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Sheila Watt-Cloutier, Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference, Grand Chief Andy Carvill from the Yukon First Nations, Dr. Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program, and Ms. Okpik Pitseolak for leading this morning’s opening ceremony.

The future of the North is critical to the health of our planet.

Arctic Impacts - Ecosystem

Increasing global concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases due to human activities, primarily fossil fuel burning, are projected to contribute to additional arctic warming of about 4-7°C over the next 100 years.

Increasing precipitation, shorter and warmer winters, and substantial decreases in snow cover and ice cover are among the projected changes that are very likely to persist for centuries.

Arctic vegetation zones are very likely to shift, causing wide-ranging impacts.

Disturbances such as insect outbreaks and forest fires are very likely to increase in frequency, severity, and duration, facilitating invasions by non-native species.

Animal species' diversity, ranges, and distribution will change.

Reductions in sea ice will drastically shrink marine habitat for polar bears, ice-inhabiting seals, and some seabirds, pushing some species toward extinction.

Arctic Impacts - Peoples

The Arctic is not a laboratory, not only a place to conduct expeditions; it is a place where people live, with a rich culture that has evolved over thousands of years.

Because of global warming, indigenous communities are facing major economic and cultural impacts.

Many Indigenous Peoples depend on hunting polar bear, walrus, seals, and caribou, herding reindeer, fishing, and gathering, not only for food and to support the local economy, but also as the basis for cultural and social identity.

How is climate change affecting the peoples of the North, threatening their livelihood and cultural survival?

The reduction in sea ice will have serious consequences for polar bears, ice-dependent seals, and local people for whom these animals are a primary food source.

Many coastal communities and facilities face increasing exposure to storms.

In some cases, communities and industrial facilities in coastal zones are already threatened or being forced to relocate, while others face increasing risks and costs.

Thawing ground will disrupt transportation, buildings, and other infrastructure.

Transportation and industry on land, including oil and gas extraction and forestry, will increasingly be disrupted by the shortening of the periods during which ice roads and tundra are frozen sufficiently to permit travel.

As frozen ground thaws, many existing buildings, roads, pipelines, airports, and industrial facilities are likely to be destabilized, requiring substantial rebuilding, maintenance, and investment.

Global Impacts

What is happening to the Arctic is a harbinger of things to come in the rest of the world.

Arctic warming and its consequences have worldwide implications.

Melting of highly reflective arctic snow and ice reveals darker land and ocean surfaces, increasing absorption of the sun’s heat and further warming the planet.

Increases in glacial melt and river runoff add more freshwater to the ocean, raising global sea level and possibly slowing the ocean circulation that brings heat from the tropics to the poles, affecting global and regional climate.

We recognize the importance of the Arctic Council in addressing the many common concerns and challenges emerging from climate change and providing a forum for collective action on shared priorities.

Not only does the Arctic Council engage Arctic nations, it also includes six Permanent Participants that represent Northern indigenous peoples who actively bring their voice to the work of the Council. This inclusive process ensures that steps forward to protect our shared Arctic will integrate social, cultural, health and economic components.

Last November, the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment was received at the fourth Arctic Council Ministerial meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland. This is the first climate assessment of the Arctic – a result of four years of international efforts from over 300 scientists, as well as traditional knowledge of Northern Indigenous peoples.

The Assessment confirms what our own science and the people of the Arctic have been telling us for many years: the Arctic is already experiencing some of the most rapid and severe climate change on earth.

International Polar Year

We welcome the upcoming International Polar Year beginning in 2007’, co-sponsored by the International Council for Science and the World Meteorological Organization.

This is the first International Polar Year that includes a focus on the human, social and economic dimensions of life in the North.

This year will enhance knowledge of Polar regions, encourage cooperative Arctic research, raise awareness of Arctic climate change issues and create significant linkages to climate, ecosystems and communities around the world.

Goals/Devliverables

The main goal is to carry out an innovative, interdisciplinary program for International Polar Year (IPY) along with our international partners.

As a key deliverable for International Polar Year, the Government of Canada is supporting a targeted science and research program focused on two of Canada's most important challenges for its northern regions - climate change impacts and adaptation, and the health and well-being of northern communities.

Funds will be allocated to academic, government and community researchers through a competitive, peer review process. With this funding, Canada will be able to provide leadership internationally on projects in which Canadian scientists have renowned expertise.

It is also critical that the stories of the Arctic indigenous peoples be heard. That is why people from across the Arctic are here today –as witnesses of the impacts of climate change and as catalysts for action to slow that change in their homelands.

I look forward to reading the Arctic Youth’s Video Declaration, which I understand will be presented later today. I have heard that this video clearly underlines our responsibility to act now to ensure the future for our children and childrens’ children. It puts the human face on climate change and inspires us, as leaders, to do more.

Bringing greater awareness of the sensitivity of climate change impacts to the Arctic is a key step in accomplishing our common goal.

I wish you great success on this extremely important task.

Thank you.