The Arctic’s Plastic Crisis: Toxic Threats to Health, Human Rights, and Indigenous Lands from the Petrochemical Industry Report released

Posted 18 Apr 2024

2 min read

Report is released by Alaska Community Action on Toxics (ACAT) and the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN).
- IPEN is a global network aiming to build a global movement for a toxics-free future.

Key Findings
- Environmental violations by Petrochemical Industries are polluting the Arctic.
  - It includes oil spills, release of hazardous substances etc.
- Moreover, plastic and Toxic chemicals from the world deposit and accumulate in the Arctic, making the Arctic a “hemispheric sink”.
  - These are transported on atmospheric and oceanic currents from lower latitudes through a process known as global distillation or the “grasshopper effect.”
  - Chemicals threaten the environment and health of Arctic People. E.g. Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (cancer, heart disease), Bisphenols (obesity and cancer), etc.
- Rapid warming of the Arctic is causing displacement and threatening food security of indigenous people such as Aleut, Yupik, Inuit etc.

Recommendations
- Ending government subsidies to the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries
- Adoption of Louisville Charter for Safer Chemicals for elimination of toxic chemicals and plastics.
- Integrating Just Transition framework principles in policies
- Strengthening and ensuring strong implementation of Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
- Adopting legally binding Global Plastics Treaty

The Arctic Council facilitates cooperation among Arctic states on environmental protection and sustainable development.
- Its members include Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States of America.
UN High Seas Treaty to mitigate impacts of climate change.
India’s Arctic Policy- Aims to understand the impact of climate change in the Arctic on India's climate, and energy security.