The Arctic Frontiers 2025: Beyond Borders conference

Greetings from the Arctic Frontiers 2025: Beyond borders conference, where experts from various fields and communities gathered to discuss solutions to climate change and sustainable development across borders. Part of the CAP-SHARE project team met in Tromsø at the Arctic Frontiers conference. We had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Jessica Aquino from the Hólar University, Iceland, and Dr. Jenny Turton from Arctic Frontiers, Norway. The themes raised during the conference inspired us for the upcoming Arctic Frontiers 2027, where CAP-SHARE will organize international workshops and a panel.

CAP-SHARE's activities sparked broad interest. The interdisciplinary poster session, in particular, was an excellent opportunity to present the project's current and future work to representatives from various scientific fields. One of the key observations was how the same global challenges—such as the green transition and climate change—are relevant across all disciplines, uniting them in a common goal: building a more sustainable future.
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The future of sustainable energy and the green transition is incurring costs that directly and indirectly impact the lives of various communities. Currently, one of the biggest challenges in Europe is the future of energy production, which still relies on approximately 80% fossil fuels. Transitioning to green energy production is not without its challenges, and addressing these issues requires extensive research and stakeholder collaboration. There was also significant discussion about emissions from the maritime industry and the social, economic, and environmental impacts of future shipping routes.

At the core of it all is climate change, which requires adaptation measures. Different stakeholders and regions have capacities that are being brought together in the hope of more effective collaboration. During Arctic Frontiers 2025, the importance of involving young people in decision-making and various processes was highlighted, but the question of responsibility remains open. Climate change is affecting living conditions, and future development paths are pushing young people further from their traditional living areas, particularly from rural to urban environments. Regional development should be considered through future-oriented thinking, focusing on which aspects of climate change adaptation efforts should be prioritized.

It was wonderful to share thoughts with Jessica and Jenny on how the CAP-SHARE project can work on these development areas. I strongly believe that by actively involving young people in the project’s activities, both online and locally, new development directions can be created for a more sustainable and just future.

Best regards,
Emma Karjalainen
[email protected]