The Arctic region is a unique and important part of the Earth system

The Arctic Region is now experiencing some of the most rapid environmental, social, economic and geopolitical changes, resulting from combined long-range pollution, climate change and globalization. Consequently, the Arctic region has now become part and parcel of systemic global economic, technological, cultural and environmental change. Simultaneously, what happens in the Arctic region has significant implications for the global economy, world politics and, most importantly, the Earth system. Given these changes, it is crucial that the Arctic peoples and nations, the Arctic countries and the world at large gain a greater understanding of processes taking place in the region. This observation has led us to propose that the GlobalArctic be considered “an interdisciplinary laboratory of the Anthropocene”, in which no less than the future of industrial civilization is probably being played out before our eyes. We think that the governance of the Arctic should reflect this reality.