As we contemplate this icy April, there is more ice at stake nearby. Greenland are about to go to the polls for an election with radical implications for the globe and yet, in which just 56,000 people will take part. Although owned by Denmark, Greenland is autonomous with rich mining wealth, prompting a comment by Trump in 2019 that; “The US should just buy it”. The retreating ice in Greenland has increased mining opportunities and raised the possibility of new shipping lanes through the Arctic, which could reduce global shipping times and ironically, have a positive effect on reducing the travel carbon footprint.
Aligning goals is a key tenant of any successful business, however, the wealth that sits just underwater in Greenland is not aligning the nations, who are watching to see what happens next. The protagonists in this long running territorial dispute are Denmark, Russia and Canada who all seek sovereignty over a vast underwater mountain range known as Lomonosov Ridge.
Denmark is the current owner, and since they are signed up to the Paris Agreement (to lower carbon emissions) they should closely scrutinise anything with an environmental impact – such as allowing new mining on the “Ridge”. Personally, I hope that the will of Denmark and Greenland will prevail as they hold the keys to that underwater castle – but they are not known for being a global force.