People of ICEBERG—Adam Stepien

Throughout the ICEBERG project, we will introduce the people working on the project. In this personnel introduction, Adam Stepien, a political scientist from the University of Lapland, introduces himself and shares what inspires him about ICEBERG.

“I am Adam Stepien and I work at the Arctic Centre of the University of Lapland in Finland. I am a political scientist with a general background in EU policies and international law, although I deal primarily with Arctic governance, Indigenous politics, and socio-economic changes in the region. I have been also involved in different policy support and consulting projects, including for the European Commission.

In ICEBERG, I am a member and a co-lead of the team working on governance aspects, at different levels, related to pollution control. My specific area of interest in the project are EU policies that have bearing on the presence of pollutants in the Arctic environment. I also look more closely at the situation in North Iceland, considering more comprehensively local actions, national policies and their EU and international context.

Policies, regulations and institutions are among key tools for dealing with pollutants and climate change in the Arctic. Because the region and many activities taking place here are strongly influenced by global or external dynamics, all levels of law and policy have to be taken into account.

We need to understand regulatory and policy frameworks to be able to discuss available options for Arctic communities and to think more holistically about the future of pollution impact and control. As researchers, we also have to try to exert influence on policy-making, so that our findings not only enhance the understanding of Arctic changes, but also translate to a shift in decision-makers’ way of thinking about the challenges in the region.

For somebody who focuses on a higher level of policies, whether we talk about EU or global frameworks, concrete effects and local implications of measures and rules are often difficult to grasp. ICEBERG allows me to consider the relevance of these policies within Arctic communities. It is an amazing experience to talk with people in North Iceland about their struggles, success stories, and ideas, and to better understand how these are influenced by shifting multilevel governance landscapes.

The multidisciplinary nature of ICEBERG is for me also a major asset. Experts working on policy and legal issues are far too often disconnected from the broader social science research. This has adverse effects on the relation of their insights to what is happening in the real world.

I have been working in a multidisciplinary setting my whole career and, in general, Arctic research tends to be more cross-cutting than other fields. Nonetheless, interacting with colleagues in ICEBERG is still both challenging and rewarding, expanding my way of thinking one delivery at a time.

“Policies, regulations and institutions are among key tools for dealing with pollutants and climate change in the Arctic.”

There is plenty of regulation that affects pollution in the Arctic and there are quite a few ongoing developments happening as we speak.

The EU, on one hand, aims to limit releases of microplastics and PFAS into the environment, while on the other hand, there is a push to cut red tape and deregulate industrial activities. We are following international negotiations towards a treaty on plastics, but at the same time the international law is being undermined by geopolitical tensions and economic challenges and there is disappointment in terms of the effectiveness of global agreements.

We need to be more practical in terms of regulatory frameworks and policies, paying closer attention to actions and barriers on the local level. I hope that at the end of ICEBERG, we will be able to grasp a clearer connection between local realities and global actions and to come up with at least a few good, implementable ideas that could inspire change, even if it happens only after a decade or two.”

Adam Stepien

Read Adam’s blog text about how the European Union is trying to fight microplastics.

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