The Arctic Circle Podcast

As Arctic ice retreats, new sea routes are opening up. How are nations and industries adapting to this new maritime reality and what does it mean for global trade, port economics, and the future of shipbuilding? Joining the conversation are: Marco Volpe , China Desk Editor, Osservatorio Artico, Italy; PhD Candidate, University of Lapland, Finland Alberto Rossi , Secretary General, Assarmatori - Th...

Food is a living expression of culture, health, identity, and intergenerational memory. How can culinary diplomacy bring together Indigenous and Western food systems? Joining the conversation are: Sara Olsvig , then International Chair, Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) Alena Gerasimova , NOMAD Project Leader, International Centre for Reindeer Husbandry (ICR) Rockford Weitz , Professor & Leader...

As global power dynamics shift, how do we strike the right balance between deterrence, dialogue, and sustainable development in the Arctic? And what do the changes underway mean for Arctic governance, stability, and cooperation? Joining the conversation are: Bergdís Ellertsdóttir , then-Senior Arctic Official of Iceland Guðbjörg Ríkey Th. Hauksdóttir , Program Manager, Centre for Arctic Studies, U...

What is Svalbard telling us about our changing planet, and what makes it such a unique place for Arctic research? Joining the conversation are: Harald Stee n, Research Director, Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) Heikki Lihavainen , Director, Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS) Marion Maturilli , Scientist, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), Germany; Sc...

The 5th International Polar Year is on the horizon. It is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to accelerate polar research, strengthen international cooperation, and deepen the collaboration with Indigenous knowledge holders. But are we moving fast enough? Joining the conversation are: Henry Burgess , then-President, International Arctic Science Committee; President, NERC Arctic Office, UK Harald S...

Is scientific collaboration with China in the Arctic  still possible, desirable, and on whose terms? Joining the conversation are: Chen Liulin , Deputy Director of the Polar Development and International Cooperation Division, Polar Research Institute of China (PRIC) Erdem Lamazhapov , PhD Research Fellow, Fridtjof Nansen Institute, Norway Trym Eiterjord , PhD Student, University of British Columbi...

What are Arctic fish telling us about the dynamics of a system in transition and what does it mean for ecosystems, communities, and the future of the Arctic? Joining the conversation are: Irene Alabia , Assistant Professor, Arctic Research Center, Hokkaido University, Japan Kevin J. Hedges , Research Scientist, Arctic Fisheries and Marine Mammal Science Division, Government of Canada Francesca Spa...

Why has the GIUK Gap, the maritime corridor between Greenland, Iceland, and the United Kingdom, returned to the centre of global security debates, and in what new forms? Joining the conversation are: Michael Delaunay , Researcher, Observatoire de la politique et la sécurité de l'Arctique (OPSA), Canada Marco Dordoni , Senior Researcher, Italian Society for International Organization (SIOI) Cé...

Black carbon - the fine particles released by burning fossil fuels and biomass -  is accelerating ice melting, disrupting ecosystems, and threatening public health. What do we know about its impacts, and what can be done? Joining the conversation are: Mario Acquarone , Deputy Secretary of the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) David Hik , Vice-President Research & Chief Scientis...

Why are nations that have no Arctic territory and no observer status in Arctic governance bodies interested in the region and what do they have to contribute? Joining the conversation are: Jefferson Simões , Professor at the Universidade Federal de Rio Grande do Sul, Member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, and Former Vice-President of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Eda...

Have you ever wondered why snow is so central to the Arctic environment? Joining the conversation are: Barbara Frigo , Professor, Politecnico di Torino, Italy David Cappelletti , Professor, Università di Perugia, Italy Claudio Artoni , PhD student, Università Bicocca, Italy The Session is moderated by Andrea Spolaor , Professor at the Institute of Polar Sciences, National Research Council of Italy...

How does Russian propaganda and disinformation impact the Arctic environment, its communities, and the world's understanding of the region? Joining the conversation are: Ksenia Vakhrusheva , Bellona Foundation, Bulgaria Andrey Danilov , Sami Activist and Member of the International Committee of Indigenous Peoples of Russia Benjamin Shultz , Lead Researcher at the American Sunlight Project, Ge...

How can the example of collaboration across Italian institutions and with international partners help strengthen Arctic policy and advance scientific cooperation in one of the world’s most critical regions? Joining the conversation is Antonio Tajani , Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy. This discussion was recorded live at the Arctic Circle Rome Forum - Polar Dialogue, held March 3rd–4th, 2026....

What contributions can non-Arctic states make to the Arctic region and to the people living in the North across science, innovation, diplomacy, and security? Joining the conversation are: Volker Rachold , Head of the German Arctic Office, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research Agostino Pinna , Special Envoy for the Arctic, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy Claire Buckley , Ambas...

How is indigenous sovereignty articulated within national, regional, and international legal frameworks in the Arctic? Joining the conversation are: Mona Fortier , Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada Sara Olsvig , International Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council Jessica Veldstra , Executive Director of the Aleut International Association Federico Lenzerini , Pr...

Why is the Arctic gaining political relevance on the world stage? What threats and opportunities are consolidating and emerging, and how do Arctic dynamics interconnect with the rest of the world? Joining the conversation are: Claude Véron-Réville , EU Special Envoy for Arctic Matters Agostino Pinna , Special Envoy for the Arctic, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy Kenneth Høegh , Arctic Ambassa...

As interest in Arctic resources grows, so do the questions surrounding their extraction: who benefits, who bears the risks, and what are the security implications of opening the Arctic to mining? Joining the conversation are: Rachael Lorna Johnstone , Professor, University of Akureyri, Iceland Anna Karlsdóttir , Associate Professor, University of Iceland Alexandra Middleton , Assistant Professor,...

What is the current status of indigenous rights and self-determination in the Arctic? And where must progress move faster, particularly when it comes to climate change and its devastating impact on indigenous communities? Joining the conversation are: Sara Olsvig , International Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council Jessica Veldstra , Executive Director of the Aleut International Association Per-...

How does the European Union position itself in the Arctic? And what is its role in keeping the region safe and stable, promoting international cooperation, and supporting sustainable and inclusive development? Joining the conversation is Costas Kadis , Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans of the European Commission. The Session is moderated by Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, Chairman of Arctic Circle and...

Is geoengineering going to save the world or risk precipitating further climate crises by interfering with nature? And what international frameworks are needed to ensure it is both responsibly governed and genuinely useful? Joining the conversation are: Dalee Sambo Dorough , Senior Scholar at the University of Alaska Anchorage Shaun Fitzgerald , Director of the Centre for Climate Repair at the Uni...

What is Finland's perspective and role amidst the evolving security dynamics in the Arctic? And how is Finland approaching the twin challenges of climate change and the pursuit of sustainable solutions in the region? Joining the conversation is Elina Valtonen , Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland. The Session is moderated by Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, Chairman of Arctic Circle and Former Pre...

In what ways is connectivity fundamental for development and prosperity in the Arctic region? Joining the conversation are: Sanni N. Breining , Chief Economist at Ramboll Consulting, Denmark Tómas Ingason , Chief Commercial Officer at Icelandair Jóhanna á Bergi, CEO of Atlantic Airways Nauja Bianco , Member of the Board of Directors of Greenland Resources Inc., Canada, and Director of Isuma Consul...

How can we effectively foster international cooperation in studying the ice-covered parts of the world, from the Arctic and Antarctic to the glaciers of the Himalayas? Joining the conversation is Senator Musadik Masood Malik , Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination of Pakistan. The Session is moderated by Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, Chairman of Arctic Circle and Former Pres...

How do we chart a way forward to tackle the defining challenges facing the Arctic Ocean, one of the most fragile and contested regions on Earth? Joining the conversation are: Ambassador Peter Thomson , United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Ocean Ambassador Olivier Poivre d'Arvor , Special Envoy of French President Emmanuel Macron for Oceans and Poles Louie Porta , Dire...

What are the positions of Canada, Norway, and Greenland in the Arctic? And how are each navigating the region's rapidly changing political, strategic, and environmental dynamics? Joining the conversation are: Vivian Motzfeldt , then Minister for Foreign Affairs and Research of Greenland Mona Fortier , Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada Eivind Vad Petersson ,...