Denmark may increase Arctic research funding ahead of 2032 polar year

Denmark already places a high priority on Arctic research and may allocate additional funding ahead of the International Polar Year in 2032 and 2033, Research Minister Christina Egelund said in a written response to DR.

The statement comes as Denmark lags behind Norway in organising its research efforts for the international event, which will coordinate research activities in the Arctic and Antarctic.

The Forum for Arctic Research, a coordinating body for key actors in polar research, has called for the Danish Realm to establish a secretariat and an expert committee to prepare for the polar year.

Norway has already allocated one billion kroner for research in the polar ocean. The polar regions are experiencing some of the fastest and most extensive environmental changes on Earth, while the Arctic has a particularly important role in understanding the global climate.

The International Polar Year has been held four times previously, most recently in 2007 and 2008. The fifth edition in 2032 and 2033 will cover research in both polar regions.

Ole Hertel, chairman of the Forum for Arctic Research, said the Arctic acts not only as a temperature indicator of global climate conditions, but also of pollution. Researchers have detected substances such as PFAS in polar bears and ringed seals for many years.

“Denmark already prioritises research in the Arctic. In research reserve agreements over the past five years, more than 200 million kroner has been prioritised for the area, while Denmark also has large general research funds that scientists can apply for,” Egelund said.

“I cannot rule out that more funding for Arctic research will be prioritised in the future,” she added.

Egelund said several members of the Danish Parliament supported a common direction for Arctic research, particularly given the geopolitical situation surrounding Greenland. She said research in Greenland falls under Greenlandic responsibility and that she wanted to hear the views of the Greenlandic government and Greenlandic members of parliament before defining the future of Arctic research.

“That is a dialogue I will have in the near future,” the minister said.

The Forum for Arctic Research welcomed the funding already provided through research reserves, but said a larger programme was needed to coordinate the field and ensure research activity and a presence over a longer period.

“Our neighbouring countries have allocated funds and launched programme committees ahead of the International Polar Year. In that respect, we are behind,” Hertel said.

He welcomed the minister’s plan to consult Greenlandic members of parliament and said he hoped the dialogue would also include Faroese members, allowing the Danish Realm to establish a joint programme for the International Polar Year.