Adapting ocean governance to the impacts of climate change : The challenges of sustainable management of Arctic shipping

Abstract

Climate change is severely affecting the Arctic and accelerating the melting of the ice. Among other things, it is leading to the emergence of new polar routes. This will shorten the distances between Europe and Asia. These new Arctic lanes have led to an increase in maritime traffic in the High North. This new shipping traffic represents economic opportunities for the region, but can cause irreversible environmental damage locally and globally. This thesis analyses whether international law ensures the sustainable management of polar shipping and whether the current framework is fit to do so under the changing conditions of climate change. Thus, this research examines the impacts of climate change on Arctic shipping. It then looks at how Arctic shipping is regulated and what the limitations and gaps of this framework are. Finally, it analyses how a coordination of instruments could be a solution to the polar challenges and enable a more sustainable and effective management of Arctic shipping.