The Arctic and global warming: adaptation to climate change and environmental protection

Abstract

The subject of this research is the legal norms that regulate social relations arising in the context of implementation of measures aimed at global warming prevention and adaption to climate change. The goal of this work lies in formulization of theoretical and practical conclusions and recommendations for the improvement of legal regulation in this sphere based on the analysis of legislation, policy documents of different countries, as well as information and data pertinent to climate change. Methodological framework is comprised of the logical techniques, means of cognition, general scientific and special methods, such as analysis, synthesis, analogy, deduction, induction, comparative-legal, formal-legal,  etc. The relevance of this topic is substantiated by the continuous global warming worldwide, particularly the temperatures in the northern polar region. At the same time, the experts note that the efforts made by the international community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions neither decelerate the global warming, nor reduce the concentration of such gases. This means that that the efforts should be aimed at adaptation to the new climatic realities. The article examines the questions related to climate protection, as well as adaptation to climate change applicable to the Arctic. A number of theoretical and practical conclusions and recommendations are made. For protection of the Arctic environment in the conditions of changing climate, it is necessary to stipulate in the Russian legislation such legal instrument as the strategic environmental assessment, at least for projects implemented in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation.