Creating a framework integrating human rights

Romain Chuffart, Nansen Professor in Arctic Studies at the University of Akureyri, has been awarded a prestigious bursary from the UK Government’s Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Arctic Office. The “Supporting Impactful UK Arctic Science Engagement 2025–2026” award will fund his project, Developing a legal assessment of Arctic geoengineering to support a scoping exercise being conducted by the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) Arctic Council Working Group.

The project builds on Chuffart’s Nansen Professorship’s theme on Arctic Ocean Governance and his ongoing research in polar law and geoengineering governance. It will be carried out in collaboration with Professor Philip Steinberg of Durham University and contribute directly to the work of AMAP. The collaboration with Professor Steinberg is rooted in Chuffart’s doctoral studies at Durham University, where Steinberg was one of his PhD supervisors.

A justice-based framework for Arctic geoengineering

The research aims to ensure that legal, ethical, and human rights perspectives are integrated into discussions of geoengineering in the Arctic. While current debates are largely dominated by technical feasibility studies, little attention has been paid to justice and Indigenous rights.

“My project aims to develop a draft framework that integrates human rights, especially the rights of Indigenous Peoples, and principles of justice, so that future decisions about testing and potential deployment of geoengineering in the Arctic are made in a fair and responsible way,” said Chuffart.

The award will also support a workshop at the Arctic Frontiers conference in Tromsø in early 2026, bringing together 25 experts, including legal scholars, Indigenous representatives, and governance practitioners.

Why now?

Geoengineering has become an increasingly serious issue in global climate debates, particularly as the world struggles to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. The Arctic, which is warming more than four times faster than the global average, is already seeing experimental proposals such as sea-ice thickening and marine cloud brightening. These technologies, Chuffart warns, could have far-reaching social, environmental, and geopolitical consequences.

By supporting AMAP’s scoping work, the project will help ensure that future assessments give weight to justice, Indigenous rights, and intergenerational equity. “This project allows us to bring together complementary expertise in law, geography, and Arctic governance at a crucial moment for the Arctic,” Chuffart explains.