Greenland Environmental Laws at the Present Stage

Abstract

The article considers the environmental legislation of Greenland as the autonomy of the Arctic state, its environmental policy and the main stages of its development. The authors describe the interaction of Greenland with Denmark and the European Union in the field of energy, water management, fishing, climate policy, and pollution control. The conclusion is drawn that, despite the fact that the environmental development of the autonomy started only at the end of the 20th century, significant improvements have already been made in the legal regulation of energy and water resources protection. The main areas of concern for Greenland are waste management and climate change. Despite the participation of Greenland in the Arctic and European Union programs and the development of its national policies to combat climate change, the level of greenhouse gas emissions from the rest of the world has a negative effect on the environmental situation in Greenland, thereby confirming the fears of researchers about the irreversibility of the Greenland glaciers melting and the general climate warming by more than 1.5 °C to the beginning of 2100. Nevertheless, despite large mineral deposits on its territory, the government of Greenland pursues the policy of sustainable environmental development.