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Letter from Monaco

Shared Voices 2020 Letter From Monaco
Photo: Palais Princier de Monaco

By His Serene Highness, Prince Albert II of Monaco

Action to combat climate change is a primary commitment in my life.

However, rather than talking about the policies implemented in Monaco or the projects initiated or supported by my Foundation in regard to the climate, I will instead try to summarize the ways in which I believe the fight against climate change is intrinsically linked to the preservation of the Arctic region – the region at the heart of many climate change issues.

First and foremost, the Arctic, with its vast landscapes, is where one feels more than anywhere else the Earth’s beauty and force, as well as its fragility in the face of human actions.

It is also a universal region, whose future, each of us understands, is vital for the entire world; a region, therefore, that enables us to make the link between local problems and global issues.

It is also an area of economic tension, in particular since global warming has opened up new maritime routes, giving access to natural resources which up until now were out of reach, thus attracting a great deal of economic and not always well-intentioned interest.

It is also a region for scientific exploration, made up of ecosystems, often still obscure, of which we need to gain a better understanding.

And above all, it is inhabited land, whose people are only very rarely responsible for the ills befalling them and who live with the terrible uncertainty of a future over which they have little control.

Consequently, the Arctic is a microcosm of our world and the challenges it faces due to climate change.

In the Arctic, as elsewhere, we can only combat climate change by basing ourselves on specific scientific knowledge, which alone is capable of indicating the threats to us and the ways to prevent them.

We can only take action by involving humankind as a whole in an effort which concerns us all. We can only be effective by reconciling economic issues with environmental imperatives. And we can only find a sustainable solution with the populations concerned, by giving them the opportunity to take control of their own destiny, between respect for their ancestral traditions and ambitions for a better future.

There, as well as elsewhere, action against climate change means committing to a development paradigm which is able to reconcile the needs of nature with the aspirations of humankind.

That is the reason why for many years I have been committed to protecting this region. That is why my Foundation implements and supports many actions in the polar regions.

And that is why, for many years, I have enthusiastically supported UArctic, who is a key player in the conservation of the Arctic, and beyond that, of our climate and our planet.

To save the Earth, we need to save the Arctic.

Table of Contents

  1. Letter from the President

    By Lars Kullerud

  2. Editorial

    By Outi Snellman

  3. Climate Action – A Need for Policy

    By Pekka Haavisto

  4. Russia’s Ten Priorities in the Arctic

    By Alexander V. Krutikov

  5. Learning from the Crisis: Issues in Strengthening Online Learning for the Future

    By Diane Hirshberg and Paul Wasko

  6. Step Up and Take Climate Leadership

    By Eirik Sivertsen

  7. Multidisciplinary Research as Climate Action

    By Annika Granebeck and Nina Kirchner

  8. It Takes a Village: University of New Hampshire Students Spur Climate Change Research to Action

    By Colleen Flaherty, Rebecca Irelan and Cameron Wake

  9. Exploring Arctic Policy from an Inuit Perspective

    By Nadine C. Fabbi, Michelle Koutnik, Ellen Ahlness and Elizabeth Wessells

  10. Stories from the Ice: A History of Arctic Climate and Environmental Change Told in Ice Cores

    By Karl Kreutz, Cameron Wake, Erich Osterberg and Alison Criscitiello

  11. Student story: Anna-Katri Kulmala

  12. UArctic Annual Report 2019

  13. Building Relationships with Land: Bushkids Initiative

    By Chloe Dragon Smith

  14. Understanding Climate Change Through Storytelling, Culture, and Art

    By Aaluk Edwardson, Maleah Wenzel, Sabena Allen, Shelbi Fitzpatrick and Melody Brown Burkins

  15. Many a Little Makes a Mickle: Coastal Studies Students and Staff Take Action Against Marine Litter

    By Catherine Chambers and Astrid Fehling

  16. Our Plastic Ocean, Our Clean Ocean: Art as a Catalyst to Build Understanding

    By Herminia Din

  17. Worlds in Motion – The National Museums of World Culture, Sustainability and the Future

    By Sofie Öberg Magnusson and Martin Schultz

  18. Voluntourism in the Faroe Islands: A Sustainable Nordic Tourism Model

    By Jonathan Wood

  19. Northern Nursing Students Raising Awareness and Spreading Knowledge on Climate Actions

    By Kathie Pender, Donald Leidl and Bente Norbye

  20. Smart Societies and Arctic Sustainability: Opportunities and Challenges

    By Nadezda Nazarova, Evgenii Aleksandrov and Anatoli Bourmistrov

  21. Shortening the Time from Observing to Decision-making in the Arctic

    By Olivia Lee and Finn Danielsen

  22. “Breath of the North”: A Literary Portrait of Jean Malaurie

    By Jan Borm

  23. Climate Change – Key Challenge of Arctic Herders’ Livelihoods and Cultures

    By Alena Gerasimova, Svetlana Avelova, Mikhail Pogodaev, Anatoly Zhozhikov, Anders Oskal and Svein D. Mathiesen

  24. Alumni Testimonials from the Model Arctic Council

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