NETHERLANDS

ARCTIC COUNCIL: OBSERVER

ARCTIC POLICY

CONTRIBUTION TO THE ARCTIC

The Willem Barentz Polar Institute is a conglomeration of institutes which actively contri­butes to Dutch polar activities. It includes the major institutions with Arctic research initi­atives, including the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, theRoyal Netherlands Meteorological Institute,the Free University of Amsterdam, andWageningen Univer­sity. The Arctic Centre, based at the University of Groningen, is also part of the Willem Barentz Polar Institute and its current (2013) host. The Arctic Centre is largely involved in Social Science and Humanities related research in the Arctic. The Netherlands’ national research council has a funding instrument for polar research initiatives,the Netherlands Polar Program. The Netherlands Arctic Station is a government supported infrastructural initiative and operates during summer months in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. It is an INTE­RACT observer.

SELECTED EU-FINANCED PROJECTS

Faculty of Geo-­‐Information Science and Earth Observation, University of Twente is lead partner to partner to CoreClimax, a project for Coordination the identification of essential climate change variables and the creation of long term climate data records. CoreClimax is partially financed by the EU by the 7th Framework Programme.

UNIVERSITEIT UTRECHT and KONINKLIJKE NEDERLANDSE AKADEMIE VAN WETENSCHAPPEN -­‐ KNAW, STICHTING KONINKLIJK NEDERLANDS INSTITUUT VOOR ZEEONDERZOEK (NIOZ), and WETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK EN PATIENTENZORG, are partners to to EPOCA (European Project on Ocean Acidification) a project for Advancing the understanding of the biological, ecological, biogeochemical, and societal implications of ocean acidification. EPOCA is partially financed by the EU by the 7th Framework Programme.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is partner to partner to Page21, a project aimed at understanding and quantifying the vulnerability of permafrost environments to a changing global climate, and to investigate the feedback mechanisms associated with increasing greenhouse gas emissions from permafrost zones. Page21 is partially financed by the EU.

University of Groningen is partner to to SIOS, (Svalbard Integrated Earth Observing System) a project for the Creation Of an optimized observational infrastructure which can match advanced Earth System Models with observational evidence and provide near--‐real--‐time information on Arctic Change to relevant stakeholders. SIOS is partially financed by the EU by the 7th Framework Programme.

Netherlands Institute for the Law of the Sea (NILOS) Utrecht University, is partner to Arctic Transform / Shipping Working Group. ARCTIC TRANSFORM developed policy options for Arctic shipping, focusing on protection and preservation of the marine environment and marine biodiversity in the Arctic marine area; Arctic Transform / Fisheries Working Group aimed Developing transatlantic policy options for supporting adaptation in the marine Arctic environment; Arctic Transform / Offshore Hydrocarbon Working Group, aimed at Developing transatlantic policy options for supporting adaptation in the marine Arctic environment . Arctic Transform is partially financed by the European Commission Directorate General for External Relations.

WAERTSILA NETHERLANDS B.V., Imtech Marine, HyGear Fuel Cell Systems B.V., and the Stichting Maritiem Research Instituut Nederland, and Centre for Concepts in Mechatronic, Technical University of Delft, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, MTI Holland B.V.,are parners to JOULES (Joint Operation for Ultra Low Emission Shipping), a project aimed at significantly reducing the gas emissions of European Built ships. JOULES is partially financed by the EU by the 7th Framework Programme.

ECORYS is lead partner to the ARCTIC NGO FORUM, an initiative that aims to provide a consistent way for non-­‐governmental organisations (NGOs) concerned with Arctic environmental issues to get together, exchange ideas and perspectives and provide advice to the global Arctic community.