First Minister to speak at Arctic Circle Assembly

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will outline Scotland’s commitment to sustainable development and reducing emissions at this year’s Arctic Circle Assembly in Iceland on Friday.

The annual conference in Reykjavik is attended by around 2,000 delegates from 50 countries with an interest in the development and protection of the Arctic and its consequences for the future of the planet.

The First Minister was invited to speak at the Assembly by former President of Iceland Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson following the Paris Climate Change talks, and will undertake a full day of meetings and engagements at the conference. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will address the Assembly on Saturday.

Ms Sturgeon said:

“Like many countries with an interest in the Arctic, Scotland has a strong commitment to take action on climate change, one of the biggest challenges the world faces. So I was pleased to accept former President of Iceland Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson’s invitation to address the conference following last December’s Paris Climate Change summit, and it’s a welcome step forward that EU members ratified the Paris Agreement last week.

“I’ll outline the steps Scotland is taking to cut emissions and how we want to use our position as a world leader to work with other like-minded countries and limit the effects of climate change in the coming decades.”