10 September 2015 - 11 September 2015
IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria

Arctic Futures Initiative (AFI) – Second Extended Core Group Meeting with IIASA Experts

Global socio-economic and technological changes, such as increasing demand for economic growth and new energy resources, growing global population and urbanization, increasing emissions of greenhouse gases, as well as short-lived climate forcings, all contribute to changes in the Arctic climate, environment and societies.

Image courtesy NASA ICE

Image courtesy NASA ICE

Importantly, the climate warming and its effects are most pronounced in the Arctic region. Conversely, changes in the Arctic environment, such as decrease in the extent of sea ice, decreasing albedo, and thawing permafrost have an effect on the global climate system and thus, also affect other regions of the Earth.

In order to better adapt and plan towards a stable and prosperous Arctic, more information is needed about the potential future conditions of the region.  To fulfill this need, the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) is in the planning phase of a new international, collaborative, and integrative research project, the Arctic Futures Initiative” (AFI), which will support decision-making in an effort to advance sustainable, and plausible futures for the Arctic in different environmental, social, economic and technological contexts. 

The Arctic Futures Initiative Core Group is the “action tool” of the AFI Advisory Board. AFI Core Group will hold a meeting with the purpose to review the current framework, define the AFI basic framework and components, such as inclusion of business and policy. The participants of this meeting will initiate the writing of a program plan and implementation plan, as well as prepare for upcoming meetings: September 13-17 Arctic Council Working Groups meetings in Tromsø, October 16-18 Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavik, and December 1-3 AFI meeting at IIASA.



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Last edited: 07 September 2015

ARCTIC FUTURES INITIATIVE

A new IIASA flagship initiative will bring a holistic systems perspective to the Arctic.

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
Schlossplatz 1, A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria
Phone: (+43 2236) 807 0 Fax:(+43 2236) 71 313