Climate Change and The Arctic: Profound Disruption, Uncertain Impact

Friday, April 23rd, 2021
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

Add to Calendar: Add to Calendar: 2021-04-23 08:30:00 2021-04-23 17:00:00 Climate Change and The Arctic: Profound Disruption, Uncertain Impact Event Description The Arctic feels the impact of climate change more intensely than the rest of the globe. Regardless of national and international efforts to mitigate the emissions that drive climate change, much of the ongoing change in the Arctic is already established and will continue to accelerate. These changes will dramatically affect not only the Arctic’s environment, but also its security, defense, and ability to be exploited for its resources and used for transportation. This year's annual conference will delve into these emerging issues in the Arctic from the perspective of trans-border impact, initiatives and need for cooperation. Our expert panelists and distinguished lecturers will cover issues ranging from the concrete change taking place, to emerging national security issues, to economic growth and regulation, to the impact on and role of indigenous peoples. Our guests and presenters from government, academia, and industry will review these topics from their national and sector viewpoints and engage the audience in much-needed dialogue on the issues. CLE reading materials Agenda 8:30 a.m. Welcome and Introduction  Dean Erika Chamberlain, President, Canada-United States Law Institute, Dean of Law, University of Western Ontario Faculty of Law  Dean Michael P. Scharf, President, Canada-United States Law Institute, Dean, ǿմý School of Law  8:45 a.m. Climate Change’s Profound Disruption of the Arctic  Moderator:  Dr. Michael Sfraga, PhD, Director of the Polar Institute and Director of the Global Risk and Resilience Program, Woodrow Wilson Institute International Center for Scholars  Prof. Hajo Eicken, Ph.D., Director of the International Arctic Research Center and Professor of Geophysics and at the University of Alaska Fairbanks   Prof. Marcel Babin, Ph.D., Université Laval, Québec, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Remote Sensing of Canada's New Arctic Frontier    9:55 a.m. Break 10 a.m. The Arctic as Emerging Geopolitical Flashpoint  Moderator: Prof. Robert Huebert, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Calgary Department of Political Science, former member of the Canadian Polar Commission  Prof. Michael Byers, Canada Research Chair in Global Politics and International Law, University of British Columbia, author of “International Law and the Arctic” (Cambridge University Press)   Rear Admiral Martin La Cour-Andersen, Defense Attaché to the United States and Canada, Embassy of Denmark in the United States, Danish Department of Defense  Prof. Rebecca Pincus, Assistant Professor at the United States Naval War College, former Chair of Arctic Policy at the United States Coast Guard Academy Jonathon Quinn, Director General of Continental Defence, Department of National Defence, Government of Canada 11:30 a.m. Break 11:40 a.m. Canadian Distinguished Lecture  Opening remarks: The Honourable James Peterson, Counsel, Fasken LLP, former Canadian Minister of International Trade, Member of Canadian Parliament  Introduction: Consul General Joe Comartin, Consul General of Canada in Detroit, former Member of Canadian Parliament Canadian Lecturer: Peter MacKay PC QC, Canada-United States Law Institute Executive Committee, former Canadian Minister of National Defence, Attorney General, and Minister of Justice, and Minister of Canadian Parliament 12:25 p.m. Break 12:35 p.m.  Lunchtime Awards Ceremony Henry T. King Award Presentation – presented by Lawrence Herman, Canada-United States Law Institute Executive Committee, Principal at Herman and Associates, Counsel at Cassidy Levy Kent, Senior Fellow at the C.D. Howe Institute Professor Sidney J. Picker Award Presentation – presented by Stephen J. Petras, Jr., U.S. Director, Canada-United States Law Institute, Director, Frederick K. Cox International Law Center, Chair, Council of the Great Lakes Region  12:45 p.m. Break 12:55 p.m. United States Distinguished Lecture    Opening remarks: The Honorable James Blanchard, Partner, DLA Piper LLP, former Governor of Michigan, United States Ambassador to Canada, United States Representative  Introduction: Katherine Brucker, Chargé d’Affaires, United States Mission to Canada, United States Department of States United States Lecturer: James P. DeHart, United States Coordinator for the Arctic Region, United States Department of State   1:40 p.m. Break 1:50 p.m. Tensions and Opportunity in Arctic Development and Stewardship  Moderator: Prof. Jonathan Adler, Johan Verheij Memorial Professor of Law, and Director, Coleman P. Burke Center for Environmental Law at ǿմý School of Law  Prof. Charles F. Doran, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of International Relations, Director of Canadian Studies, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies  Hugh S. Short, Chairman & CEO, PT Capital, former Chairman of the Alaska Industrial Development Authority, former Mayor of Bethel, Alaska   Martha Hall Findlay, Chief Sustainability Officer, Suncor Energy Inc., member of the Canadian Minister of International Trade’s Trade Expert Advisory Council, former Member of Canadian Parliament  Rosemary A. McCarney, Massey College Senior Fellow in Foreign and Defense Policy, Pearson Sabia Visiting Professor in Int’l Relations, Trinity College, University of Toronto, Former Canadian Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and the Conference on Disarmament 3:20 p.m. Break 3:30 p.m. Indigenous Leadership on Climate Change and the Arctic  Moderator: Wayne D. Garnons-Williams, Chair, International Intertribal Trade and Investment Organization, and Director, Council of the Great Lakes Region  Dr. Dalee Sambo Dorough, PhD, Chair, Inuit Circumpolar Council, Senior Scholar and Special Advisor on Arctic Indigenous Peoples, University of Alaska Anchorage Dr. Heather Pirot, PhD, Board Member, Saskatchewan First Nations Economic Development Network, former Indigenous Engagement Coordinator, University of Saskatchewan Kitty Gordon, Assistant to the Public Health Director of the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services   4:45 p.m. Closing Remarks  Prof. Chios Carmody, Canadian National Director, Canada-United States Law Institute, Associate Professor, University of Western Ontario Faculty of Law  5 p.m. Close of conference Sponsors     Canada-United States Law Institute at ǿմý School of Law   The University of Western Ontario Faculty of Law Platinum Sponsor:           DLA Piper Gold Sponsor:       Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. Bronze Sponsors:     Barudan America Inc.             Charles Schwab         Formica Group             Quebec Office in Chicago       Taft Stettinius & Hollister Event Partners:     Canadian Consulate - Detroit Community Partners:       Cleveland Council on World Affairs     Greater Cleveland International Lawyers Group (GCILG)           Northeast Ohio International Business Network             The Polar Institute at the Wilson Center     The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars  virtual only School of Law School of Law America/New_York public

Canada-United States Law Institute 45th Annual Conference

This program is eligible for up to 6.50 substantive CPD hours in Ontario at no cost.

Platinum Sponsor

  • DLA Piper

Gold Sponsor

  • Cleveland-Cliffs Inc

Bronze Sponsors

  • Barudan America Inc.
  • Charles Schwab
  • Formica Group
  • Quebec Office in Chicago
  • Taft Stettinius & Hollister

Event Partners

  • Canadian Consulate - Detroit

Community Partners

  • Cleveland Council on World Affairs
  • Greater Cleveland International Lawyers Group (GCILG)
  • Northeast Ohio International Business Network
  • The Polar Institute at the Wilson Center
  • The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

$50 CLE fee 

$0 general registration (no CLE)

6.50 hours hours of CLE credit has been approved

Webcast Archive Content

Video: Climate Change and The Arctic: Profound Disruption, Uncertain Impact - Part 1
Video: Climate Change and The Arctic: Profound Disruption, Uncertain Impact - Part 2
Video: Climate Change and The Arctic: Profound Disruption, Uncertain Impact - Part 3
Video: Climate Change and The Arctic: Profound Disruption, Uncertain Impact - Part 4
Video: Climate Change and The Arctic: Profound Disruption, Uncertain Impact - Part 5
Video: Climate Change and The Arctic: Profound Disruption, Uncertain Impact - Part 6
Video: Climate Change and The Arctic: Profound Disruption, Uncertain Impact - Part 7

Event Description

The Arctic feels the impact of climate change more intensely than the rest of the globe. Regardless of national and international efforts to mitigate the emissions that drive climate change, much of the ongoing change in the Arctic is already established and will continue to accelerate. These changes will dramatically affect not only the Arctic’s environment, but also its security, defense, and ability to be exploited for its resources and used for transportation. This year's annual conference will delve into these emerging issues in the Arctic from the perspective of trans-border impact, initiatives and need for cooperation. Our expert panelists and distinguished lecturers will cover issues ranging from the concrete change taking place, to emerging national security issues, to economic growth and regulation, to the impact on and role of indigenous peoples. Our guests and presenters from government, academia, and industry will review these topics from their national and sector viewpoints and engage the audience in much-needed dialogue on the issues.

Agenda

8:30 a.m.

Welcome and Introduction 

Dean Erika Chamberlain, President, Canada-United States Law Institute, Dean of Law, University of Western Ontario Faculty of Law 

Dean Michael P. Scharf, President, Canada-United States Law Institute, Dean, ǿմý School of Law 

8:45 a.m.

Climate Change’s Profound Disruption of the Arctic 

Moderator:  Dr. Michael Sfraga, PhD, Director of the Polar Institute and Director of the Global Risk and Resilience Program, Woodrow Wilson Institute International Center for Scholars 

  • Prof. Hajo Eicken, Ph.D., Director of the International Arctic Research Center and Professor of Geophysics and at the University of Alaska Fairbanks  

  • Prof. Marcel Babin, Ph.D., Université Laval, Québec, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Remote Sensing of Canada's New Arctic Frontier   

9:55 a.m. Break
10 a.m.

The Arctic as Emerging Geopolitical Flashpoint 

Moderator: Prof. Robert Huebert, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Calgary Department of Political Science, former member of the Canadian Polar Commission 

  • Prof. Michael Byers, Canada Research Chair in Global Politics and International Law, University of British Columbia, author of “International Law and the Arctic” (Cambridge University Press)  

  • Rear Admiral Martin La Cour-Andersen, Defense Attaché to the United States and Canada, Embassy of Denmark in the United States, Danish Department of Defense 

  • Prof. Rebecca Pincus, Assistant Professor at the United States Naval War College, former Chair of Arctic Policy at the United States Coast Guard Academy

  • Jonathon Quinn, Director General of Continental Defence, Department of National Defence, Government of Canada

11:30 a.m. Break
11:40 a.m.

Canadian Distinguished Lecture 

Opening remarks: The Honourable James Peterson, Counsel, Fasken LLP, former Canadian Minister of International Trade, Member of Canadian Parliament 

  • Introduction: Consul General Joe Comartin, Consul General of Canada in Detroit, former Member of Canadian Parliament

  • Canadian Lecturer: Peter MacKay PC QC, Canada-United States Law Institute Executive Committee, former Canadian Minister of National Defence, Attorney General, and Minister of Justice, and Minister of Canadian Parliament

12:25 p.m. Break
12:35 p.m. 

Lunchtime Awards Ceremony

  • Henry T. King Award Presentation – presented by Lawrence Herman, Canada-United States Law Institute Executive Committee, Principal at Herman and Associates, Counsel at Cassidy Levy Kent, Senior Fellow at the C.D. Howe Institute

  • Professor Sidney J. Picker Award Presentation – presented by Stephen J. Petras, Jr., U.S. Director, Canada-United States Law Institute, Director, Frederick K. Cox International Law Center, Chair, Council of the Great Lakes Region 

12:45 p.m. Break
12:55 p.m.

United States Distinguished Lecture   

Opening remarks: The Honorable James Blanchard, Partner, DLA Piper LLP, former Governor of Michigan, United States Ambassador to Canada, United States Representative 

  • Introduction: Katherine Brucker, Chargé d’Affaires, United States Mission to Canada, United States Department of States

  • United States Lecturer: James P. DeHart, United States Coordinator for the Arctic Region, United States Department of State  

1:40 p.m. Break
1:50 p.m.

Tensions and Opportunity in Arctic Development and Stewardship 

Moderator: Prof. Jonathan Adler, Johan Verheij Memorial Professor of Law, and Director, Coleman P. Burke Center for Environmental Law at ǿմý School of Law 

  • Prof. Charles F. Doran, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of International Relations, Director of Canadian Studies, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies 

  • Hugh S. Short, Chairman & CEO, PT Capital, former Chairman of the Alaska Industrial Development Authority, former Mayor of Bethel, Alaska  

  • Martha Hall Findlay, Chief Sustainability Officer, Suncor Energy Inc., member of the Canadian Minister of International Trade’s Trade Expert Advisory Council, former Member of Canadian Parliament 

  • Rosemary A. McCarney, Massey College Senior Fellow in Foreign and Defense Policy, Pearson Sabia Visiting Professor in Int’l Relations, Trinity College, University of Toronto, Former Canadian Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and the Conference on Disarmament

3:20 p.m. Break
3:30 p.m.

Indigenous Leadership on Climate Change and the Arctic 

Moderator: Wayne D. Garnons-Williams, Chair, International Intertribal Trade and Investment Organization, and Director, Council of the Great Lakes Region 

  • Dr. Dalee Sambo Dorough, PhD, Chair, Inuit Circumpolar Council, Senior Scholar and Special Advisor on Arctic Indigenous Peoples, University of Alaska Anchorage

  • Dr. Heather Pirot, PhD, Board Member, Saskatchewan First Nations Economic Development Network, former Indigenous Engagement Coordinator, University of Saskatchewan

  • Kitty Gordon, Assistant to the Public Health Director of the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services  

4:45 p.m.

Closing Remarks 

Prof. Chios Carmody, Canadian National Director, Canada-United States Law Institute, Associate Professor, University of Western Ontario Faculty of Law 

5 p.m. Close of conference

Sponsors

Canada-United States Law Institute at ǿմý

 

 

Canada-United States Law Institute at ǿմý School of Law


Western Law logo

 

The University of Western Ontario Faculty of Law


Platinum Sponsor:

DLA Piper logo

 

 

 

 

 

DLA Piper


Gold Sponsor:

Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. logo

 

 

 

Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.


Bronze Sponsors:

Barudan America Inc.

 

 

Barudan America Inc.


Charles Schwab logo

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charles Schwab


Formica Group logo

 

 

 

 

Formica Group


Quebec office in Chicago logo

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quebec Office in Chicago


Taft Stettinius & Hollister

 

 

 

Taft Stettinius & Hollister


Event Partners:

Canadian Consulate - Detroit

 

 

Canadian Consulate - Detroit


Community Partners:

Cleveland Council on World Affairs logo

 

 

 

Cleveland Council on World Affairs


Greater Cleveland International Lawyers Group logo

 

 

Greater Cleveland International Lawyers Group (GCILG)


Northeast Ohio International Business Network logo

 

 

 

 

 

Northeast Ohio International Business Network


The Polar Institute at the Wilson Center logo

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Polar Institute at the Wilson Center


Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars logo

 

 

The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars 

Event Location

virtual only

photo of melting arctic ice

Sponsored by The Canada-United States Law Institute at ǿմý School of Law, The University of Western Ontario Faculty of Law and the Coleman P. Burke Center for Environmental Law