Russia obstructs Arctic climate data collection, NATO warns

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NATO has warned that Russia is withholding vital data needed by scientists to model the scale and impact of climate change in the Arctic, a strategically important region that is the fastest-warming part of the world, as part of a wider disinformation campaign waged against the West.

“They are hiding some of the important information needed for (climate) reports,” the senior official said. NATO An official told the Financial Times.

A network of 95 field bases collects statistics on the Arctic, but 21 of these bases are on pause, according to the International Arctic Terrestrial Research and Monitoring Network. Russia first stopped sharing data when Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

“Without this information, climate modeling will not be as effective as it can be, and it is (this) modeling that forms the basis for policymakers as they decide how to address the problem and how to reduce emissions,” the official said. “It’s a pretty nasty game in which the climate is now a hostage in our relationship as well.”

NATO officials say Russia, a major oil and gas producer, will lose out as Western economies gradually move away from burning fossil fuels for energy. The military alliance has warned that Moscow is waging a widespread disinformation campaign against the benefits of decarbonization.

Melting Arctic sea ice could also open up new routes for the Russian navy, something Moscow has sought to capitalize on with multibillion-dollar investments in icebreakers and frigates aimed at protecting parts of its nuclear arsenal on the Kola Peninsula near Finland. .

“The melting Arctic conditions will present the alliance with new opportunities, but also vulnerabilities if left unchecked,” NATO said in a July report.

Countries around the world provide weather and climate data to a variety of subnational and global organizations, such as the World Meteorological Organization, which is used by scientists to compile the landmark reports of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the body charged with the world’s most comprehensive information. scientific analysis of global warming.

The Arctic is called the Earth’s refrigerator. But it is estimated that there will be warming at least three times the global annual average as the ice and snow that reflect the sun’s rays melt and leave behind darker ground, making the heating effect more pronounced.

Scientists are also concerned that emissions of carbon dioxide and methane from thawing permafrost could lead to spiraling climate change, with increased Arctic wildfires in warmer, drier conditions leading to deeper and faster melting.

Celeste Saulo, head of the World Meteorological Organization, confirmed earlier this year that Russia shared some, but not all, data with the group after the war in Ukraine. “There is a lot of conflict, it’s not easy,” she said.

“We’re trying to convey the message that this is for global benefit and not for individual benefit. But we all know that there are sensitivities in terms of data sharing,” she said.

NATO’s criticism of Russia comes ahead of the UN COP29 summit in Baku, where nearly 200 countries are due to meet to discuss a global response to climate change.

Western countries accuse Russia of obstructing these international climate negotiations, especially on the issue phasing out fossil fuelswhich he says is irresponsible and will contribute to the energy crisis.

Additional reporting by Henry Foy in Brussels