The thesis is intended to focus on the likely impact that global warming will have on the Arctic region in the near future. Throughout much of history the Arctic has been a “cold” spot in terms of geopolitical ambitions and conflicts. Given that the overwhelming majority of scientific data on the subject predicts severe climatic shifts in the Arctic even in a utopian best case scenario, it is very clear that the Arctic will become increasingly traversable and exploitable in the near future. In light of the emergence of geopolitical contests in newly exploitable regions throughout human history (the colonisation of the New World, the Scramble for Africa, amongst others), it seems unlikely that the Arctic will be any different. The thesis will attempt to establish probable avenues of conflict by examining the embryonic policies that are taking shape in the present day, for example the reactivation of Russian Arctic ports.
