Mead Treadwell is the Lieutenant Governor of Alaska, United States of America.
Commentary
Arctic Opportunities: An Alaskan Perspective
Mead Treadwell
For Arctic states across the globe, the accessible Arctic Ocean poses the opportunity of a lifetime.
Consider the following: the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that 13% of the world‘s undiscovered
oil and 30% of its undiscovered gas will be found in the Arctic, and six of the eight Arctic nations
are already engaging in offshore energy exploration. Sea ice retreat has beckoned major new
shipping in the North. This year, about 1.5 million tons of cargo will be transported through the
Northern Sea Route, compared with nothing five years ago. Gas condensate, liquefied natural gas,
and consumer goods are passing right past Alaska‘s front door to our traditional customers in Japan.
In preparation for this huge opportunity in energy transit, Russia, China, Sweden, Finland, Canada,
the European Union, Japan and Korea are beefing up their icebreaker fleets.
The Arctic‘s energy resources, minerals, tourism and shipping potential make this increasingly
accessible region a classic emerging market. Billions of public and private dollars will be invested in
its development. New infrastructure will increase our physical access to the Arctic, and commercial
expansion will follow.
We are witnessing an exciting Arctic renaissance. Just as the International Polar Year 2007 -2009
revealed that the Arctic is not static but is constantly changing, Arctic borders are likewise on the
move. Lingering border disputes, issues regarding new territory, and implementation of the Law of
the Sea Treaty are among the sovereign challenges we‘re working to resolve in the region. Among
Arctic neighbors, it‘s an ongoing balancing act between competition and cooperation.
I‘m most excited about the cooperation. Through my participation in meetings of the U.S. Arctic
Research Commission, the Russian Geographical Society, the Northern Forum, the Northern
Research Forum, the Arctic Council and its predecessor, the Arctic Environmental Protection
Strategy, I‘ve been privileged to see us build a real neighborhood at the top of the world.