The Barents region is rich in all sorts of mineral resources. It is not surprising that the region sees a rapid development of the mining industry, metallurgy, and oil and gas industry. In this context, the tasks of preserving the nature of the European Arctic and promoting sustainable development grow in relevance.
The interactive map will make the residents of the Barents region aware of the real environmental situation. To get information as regards the company you are interested in learning about, find it on the map.
Click on the company's icon, and a window with some basic data on this company (a company profile) will pop up. Such data include the company status, its date of incorporation, its rank in the sustainable development rating, as well as the estimated amount of emissions of harmful substances into the air and water. It is also supposed to indicate the level of greenhouse gas emissions and soil pollution in the vicinity of this company's facilities, as well as data on local flora and fauna.
On 11 January 1993, the countries bordering the Barents sea formed an intergovernmental organization called the Barents Euro-Arctic Council (BEAC). The organization was created to promote sustainable development and address social, economic and environmental issues in the Barents region.
The idea to establish the Council was kicked in by Norway and Russia on 8 March 1992. This was followed by a joint Protocol on the working program for cooperation signed by the foreign Ministers of the two countries.
Four nations — Russia, Sweden, Norway and Finland — cooperate within the Barents Euro-Arctic Council. It is a two-level cooperation. At the first level, there is the Barents Euro-Arctic Council bringing together the foreign Ministers of the four Member States. The Council meets once in two years.
The second level is represented by the Regional Council consisting of the heads of the provinces of Member Parties. Those include governors of the Murmansk and Arkhangelsk regions, the Nenets Autonomous district, the Komi Republic, the Republic of Karelia (Russia), Norwegian provinces of Finnmark, Troms and Nordland, the Finnish provinces of Lapland, Oulu and Kainuu, and the Swedish provinces of Norrbotten and Västerbotten.
This is why all relevant information is available in English.
The Polar night and day and the Northern lights add mystery to the Barents region. These natural phenomena can be seen only above the Arctic circle.
The Polar Index of the Barents Region: Companies is the first specialized rating of companies operating in the Barents Euro-Arctic region. Polar Index is a joint project of the Expert center for Arctic Development (PORA) and the Environmental Economics Department at the Faculty of Economics, Lomonosov Moscow State University. Its goal is to promote the sustainable development principles in the Arctic. The rating methodology is based on the concept of sustainable development introduced by the UN that refers to balancing the economic, environmental and social components of development.
The rating calculation method is based upon three integral indicators:
- Social and economic indicator – Human Development Index;
- Social and ecological indicator – Happy Planet Index;
- Ecological and economic indicator – Environmental Economics Index.
Each company is assigned a Sustainable Development Index ranging from 0 to 1 rounded to 3 decimal places. The greater the company's Index, the higher position it occupies in the rating. The first corporate sustainability rating for the Barents region was released in November 2018.
The following companies topped the rating: Equinor and DEA Norge (oil and gas, Norway), Boliden Group (mining and metallurgy, Finland/Sweden), and Agnico Eagle Mines, a gold mining company operating in Northern Finland. Russia's best performing companies were Rosneft and LUKOIL (oil and gas), NorNickel and Severstal (metallurgy), ALROSA (diamond mining), and PhosAgro (chemicals).
The indicator is based on the qualitative characteristics of the company's public reporting on corporate social responsibility (CSR)
The indicator is based on the qualitative characteristics of the environmental management system (EMS) established by the company
The indicator is based on the company's financial performance as per the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
We strive to collect the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding the companies of the Barents region. You can help us with this task! Any user can add new information to any company profile. If you are a resident of the area, and have something to tell the world about the environmental situation in the vicinity of a mining/industrial facility, or believe that a company profile lacks information, or are able to provide details about any marked object, feel free to use the feedback form. Upload your photos and videos, mark the location on the map, and describe the situation in detail in the comment section. Do not forget to leave your contact details!
If you represent a company, and wish to tell what is being done to introduce sustainability at your company's mining/production facilities, please fill in the questionnaire. We will contact you and suggest options for doing this, e.g.
recording an interview with a CEO etc.
The acquired information will be processed, translated into three foreign languages and posted on the website.
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Researchers and environmentalists from Northern Norway discussed the state of the environment in the border areas as part of the annual seminar held in Pasvik. The Troms and Finnmark regional governments’ representatives along with the analysts of the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) and the Geological Survey of Norway (NGU) presented the outcomes of an environmental monitoring program implemented in the area of the Community of Svanvik. Overall, experts believe that the situation in the Barents region is improving.
