Panel session: BIODIVERSITY TIPPING POINTS FROM ARCTIC YOUTH PERSPECTIVES

CAP-SHARE is an international project funded by the Interreg Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme, exploring how Arctic communities can respond to rapid environmental and societal changes. The project brings together scientific research, local and Indigenous knowledge, and the experiences of different generations. Within the project, the Faculty of Education at the University of Lapland is particularly responsible for work related to intergenerational sharing and learning of local and Indigenous knowledge.

Young people play a central role in this work. Through youth workshops conducted as part of CAP-SHARE, participants have reflected on Arctic change and future prospects from their own perspectives. The Reykjavík panel continues this dialogue by bringing young people's voices from local discussions to an international Arctic forum. The aim is not merely to talk about young people or their future, but to create space for young people themselves to contribute to discussions about ongoing changes in the Arctic.

What are tipping points?

Tipping points are critical thresholds beyond which major and potentially irreversible changes can occur. In the Arctic, such changes are associated with rising temperatures, declining snow and ice cover, and shifts in ecosystems.

However, environmental changes also have social and cultural implications. When living environments change rapidly, opportunities to sustain livelihoods and to maintain and pass on local and Indigenous knowledge, skills, languages, and ways of life to future generations may also be affected. From this perspective, environmental and cultural transformations are closely intertwined.

The youth perspective is especially important because young people are experiencing these changes today and will live longest with their consequences. The panel will bring their experiences, concerns, and visions for the future into dialogue with current research knowledge.

Welcome to hear young people's perspectives on Arctic change and the future of the region!

Panel participants

Sæunn Júlía Sigurjónsdóttir – Researcher, Biodice, Iceland
Niila-Juhán Valkeapää – Board Member, Sámi Youth Council, Finland
Juhán Nikolaus Wuolab Wollberg – Chair, Noereh, Norway
Kristine Nielsen – Team Manager, College of Social Education, Greenland
Arvid Karell – President, Nordic Youth Council
Rauni Äärelä-Vihriälä – Finnish Project Manager, CAP-SHARE, University of Lapland (Moderator)

The Arctic Circle Assembly, held in Reykjavík, Iceland, from 8 to 10 October 2026, is the world's largest forum for Arctic cooperation and dialogue, bringing together researchers, Indigenous representatives, organizations, and decisionmakers to build a sustainable future for the Arctic.