Since the 70s, oil companies around the world have dreamed of exploiting the oil off the coast of the Arctic. This remote and resource-rich region has been the object of coveting due to its vast reserves of oil and gas. However, with the growing development of renewable energy and the move towards a more sustainable economy, many nations have chosen to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. Today, the exploitation of the Arctic does not seem to be an imperative need to meet global energy demand, although some international actors, such as the United States under Donald Trump, have promoted drilling under the claim of strengthening the economy and creating jobs.
The current scenario is a battle between two visions: development based on renewable energy and persistence in fossil alternatives. To curb climate change, international agreements such as the Paris Agreement seek a transition to clean sources, but this objective remains a challenge in the face of the decisions of certain governments that promote new oil exploration projects.
Proposal for Arctic exploitation
In December 2017, Donald Trump proposed legislation to allow drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), one of the last natural paradises in the United States. The proposal, pushed by Senator Lisa Murkowski, chairwoman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, would allow two licenses to be auctioned off to drill a vast 1.600 square kilometer area of Alaska’s Arctic coastal zone.
The goal is to raise more than $1.000 billion and tap a reserve estimated by the U.S. Geological Survey at 12.000 billion barrels of recoverable oil. The auction will not go ahead without obstacles, however, as the Trump administration's decisions have been repeatedly challenged by environmental groups seeking to protect the unique region.
Biodiversity in danger
ANWR is recognized as one of the country’s most important biodiversity hotspots, home to iconic species such as polar bears, reindeer and whales, and a vital area for migratory birds. Drilling in this territory could have devastating effects on its ecological fragility. Species that depend on the ice and its migratory patterns are at serious risk, especially polar bears, whose population already faces multiple threats due to climate change and habitat loss.
Furthermore, the indigenous communities that have inhabited this region for generations depend almost exclusively on the local fauna for their subsistence. These populations hunt reindeer and whales to survive, and any intervention in their territories could mean the loss of their way of life.
According to a report by the Arctic Council, populations of reindeer and tundra birds have experienced drastic declines due to climate change, and oil intervention could further aggravate this situation.
Global impact and recent measures
Despite environmental opposition, the Trump administration has moved ahead with several plans. In 2020, the Bureau of Environmental Safety and Protection gave Italian company Eni SpA the green light to drill an exploratory well in the Beaufort Sea near ANWR. Environmental advocates said the move could trigger an ecological disaster, affecting the region’s biodiversity.
In 2021, new President Joe Biden suspended Arctic drilling licenses issued by Trump, but allowed other projects to go ahead, such as the controversial Willow Project in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve. This project, approved in 2023, seeks to extract oil in three areas of the Arctic, with an estimated production of 180.000 barrels per day and emissions of up to 239 million metric tons of greenhouse gases over its lifetime.
However, the Biden administration took a significant step in September 2023 by cancelling oil and gas exploration permits in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, granted during the Trump administration. This decision was based on serious legal and environmental flaws in the studies that served as the basis for the original license sales.
Perception and future of the Arctic
The future of the Arctic remains uncertain. While oil exploration promises income and job creation, the impact on climate change and biodiversity is a constant concern. The warming of the Arctic, which is twice as fast as in other parts of the world, is already affecting ecosystems. Decisions made in the coming years will be key not only for the region, but also for global emissions and the fight against climate change.
The debate is whether the risk to biodiversity and global climate change justifies oil exploration in such a vulnerable region. American banks, financial institutions and the majority of the American public, according to recent polls, oppose such actions and place their hopes on conservation prevailing over economic interests.
As the planet transitions toward more sustainable energy alternatives, the Arctic could become a key region to watch how the world balances the need for energy resources and environmental preservation.