Denmark, Greenland and Faroes urged to unite on Arctic research

Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands risk falling behind in Arctic research unless they strengthen cooperation, the Forum for Arctic Research told DR.

The forum, which coordinates key actors in the polar research community, is calling for a joint research programme for the Danish Realm ahead of the fifth International Polar Year in 2032-2033.

“For years, we have argued for the need for a major, comprehensive research programme for the Danish Realm in relation to research in the Arctic,” said Ole Hertel, chair of the forum and vice-dean at Aarhus University.

Ideally, he said, the programme would take the form of a major polar research initiative leading up to the International Polar Year.

Norway began preparing for the event in 2024 by establishing a secretariat and a national expert committee. The Norwegian government has also allocated one billion kroner for research into the polar seas, Hertel said.

The Forum for Arctic Research recommends that Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands establish a similar committee and secretariat. In addition to funding the secretariat, a substantial research budget running into the hundreds of millions of kroner would be needed, Hertel said.

Research environment affected by US policy

The International Polar Year has previously been held four times, most recently in 2007 and 2008. The next edition will cover research activities in both the Arctic and Antarctic in 2032 and 2033.

Polar regions are experiencing some of the fastest and most extensive environmental changes on Earth. Hertel said the Arctic is not only a temperature gauge for the global climate, but also for pollution.

Researchers have, for example, detected PFAS in polar bears and ringed seals for many years.

The Arctic research community is already feeling the effects of the Trump administration’s policy on climate research. Greenland’s Nature Institute and Ilisimatusarfik, the University of Greenland, have responded to the US president’s repeated threats to control Greenland by declining to enter into new partnerships with the United States.

Hertel said the increasing politicisation of Arctic research made it even more important for the Danish Realm to have a joint programme covering research and cooperation in Greenland and the Arctic.

“It gives us a focal point for a range of research activities, and we can ensure continuity in the research. Presence is extremely important in these years, and that is something we would be able to ensure through such a major programme,” he said.

Political support for closer cooperation

Several political spokespeople in the Danish parliament support a common direction.

“Climate change and geopolitical changes mean that within our own kingdom, we need to stand as strongly as possible. At the same time as outside interest is increasing, we must give even greater priority to research in the Arctic,” said Flemming Møller Mortensen, the Social Democrats’ foreign affairs and Greenland spokesperson.

He said it was difficult to see what had been expected to be low tension in the Arctic turn into the opposite, citing US pressure and aggression.

Naaja Nathanielsen, a former minister in the Greenlandic government and now a member of the Danish parliament for Inuit Ataqatigiit, also sees opportunities for increased cooperation across the Danish Realm.

She said the United States was politicising Arctic research by expressing scepticism about research into climate change and appointing Tom Dans to lead the US Arctic Research Commission. Dans was directly involved in US plans to buy Greenland during Donald Trump’s first administration, she said.

“In that way, Greenland is actually being hit twice. Over the years, we have received a great deal of funding from the United States. But in the current situation, there will be a huge gap in funding for Greenlandic research in this field,” Nathanielsen said.

Greenland should look towards other partners, she said, adding that the Forum for Arctic Research could help create a common focus and drive for the work.