Looking North: Northern England and the National Imagination (Studies in Popular Culture)

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Climate change will continue to have a devastating impact on Arctic ecosystems and communities, with increases in the frequency and intensity of rapid sea-ice loss events, melt events on the Greenland Ice Sheet, wildfires and permafrost thaw.

In the coming years we hope to see cooperation broaden to include new areas, such as space collaboration and a joint focus on marine litter.Since 2018, we have continued to work to deepen collaboration with Canada in areas of science and technology, and defence and security. Looking North is a new exhibition that presents work by artists from the North-West of England and highlights many exciting recent additions to the Arts Council Collection. The UK has consistently been at the forefront of international regulatory developments that aim to protect the Ocean and we will continue to do so.

While the future of multilateral cooperation in the region may remain uncertain, the UK will seek to strengthen our bilateral relationships with our Arctic partners and Allies to continue to make a positive contribution as the region’s nearest neighbour. The UK has a clear vision for a prosperous Arctic, where economic and commercial development is achieved in a way that is safe, responsible and sustainable. When visiting the Arctic, we want British nationals to be safe and to ensure that all international travellers and operators refrain from harming the Arctic environment.

The Northern Group (also a UK-led initiative) will continue to provide a valuable forum for information-sharing and the discussion of defence and security issues relevant to the wider region.

There is likely to be a rise in tourism and an associated increase in visitor numbers, which could offer opportunities to work closely with all Arctic states to ensure safety at sea.

The UK is playing a leading role in the development of a new strategic approach to international chemical and waste management (SAICM) to strengthen global regulatory systems and reduce the risks posed by chemicals and wastes, including risks to the Arctic environment. Together with Canada and Iceland, the UK also co-led the Arctic Marine Tourism project to analyse passenger vessel trends in the Arctic region. It set out that we would maintain a significant contribution to Arctic science, focused on understanding the implications of climate change. We welcomed discussions with the Sámi community through the Sámi Parliament, ahead of COP26 in 2021, and ensured Indigenous people’s voices, including from the Arctic, were represented throughout COP26.

We will contest malign and destabilising behaviours and activity which threaten our interests and the stability of the region. We will ensure that our investments in science and technology help develop the right cold weather capabilities now and in the future, including looking at the potential of autonomous systems and new space-based capabilities. These principles endured through the UK’s updated policy framework that was published in 2018, ‘Beyond the Ice’.The UK seeks to work with our partners and Allies in the region to reinforce international rights to freedom of access and navigation in the Arctic. You may re-use this information (not including logos or images) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence.