Long process

Greenland joining the Paris Agreement was first announced at the UN’s climate summit in 2021 by the former Naalakkersuisut (government) and then put forward for processing in Inatsisartut.

A new study then showed that Greenland could join the agreement without committing to a specific reduction of CO2 and without having to participate in Denmark’s burden-sharing.

The previous assessment was that joining the agreement could create obstacles to developing businesses and achieving independence from Denmark in the long term.

The parliament has now also concluded that the agreement can be combined with business development and economic growth. 

“The thorough preparatory work shows that the Paris Agreement does not threaten Greenland’s development. On the contrary. The Self-Government Act shall form the basis for our accession to the agreement. We accede in recognition that we are an indigenous people with the right to self-government. We are responsible for our climate policy, and we accede to the Paris Agreement on these terms”, says Lund.

In September, Greenland’s Naalakkersuisoq of Foreign Affairs, Vivian Motzfeldt, also received responsibility for matters concerning independence. Her department will focus on the Self-Government Act, work on the draft for a Greenlandic constitution, and ensure progress in the work for forming an independent state.

Growth and the green shift

Subsequently, the Greenlandic government will design a national climate strategy. In this work, both citizens, businesses and civil society will be involved.

“The strategy will include climate objectives and set the direction for how Greenland will achieve economic growth with the green shift,” writes Naalakkersuisut.

Based on the strategy, nationally determined contributions (NDC) will be decided with climate objectives for each sector. Some industries, such as raw materials and/or fisheries, may be exempted from such objectives.

Greenland’s NDC is expected to be submitted to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change so that it will be effective from 2030.

In 2021, the then Naalakkersuisut decided to stop all oil exploration out of environmental and climate concerns and instead invest in the island’s great potential for hydropower production.