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GOMPLAR - Governance of Marine Plastic Litter in the Arctic

GOMPLAR - Governance of Marine Plastic Litter in the Arctic

Researchers from institutions in Norway, South Korea, and China study governance and management systems for marine litter in the Northeast Atlantic and the Northwest Pacific. Lessons learned from regional agreements in these areas provide important insights into how plastic pollution in the Arctic can be prevented.

The project's research is relevant for Norwegian authorities, the Arctic Council, and other stakeholders working to reduce plastic pollution in the Arctic. A significant portion of plastic found in the Arctic is transported by ocean currents and rivers from other parts of the world. At the same time, northern fisheries and aquaculture industries contribute to local pollution through lost gear and waste discharges.

The deadline to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal 14.1, which aims to prevent and significantly reduce all forms of marine pollution by 2025, especially from land-based activities such as marine litter and nutrient runoff, has passed. In GOMPLAR, the focus is on developing effective and coordinated governance systems.

By comparing experiences from the Northeast Atlantic and the Northwest Pacific, the project identifies measures that could be implemented in the Arctic.

The GOMPLAR project is structured into five work packages:

  1. Northeast Atlantic region
  2. Northwest Pacific region
  3. The Arctic region
  4. Planning and development of new frameworks
  5. Circular economy

The first two work packages explore how regional agreements and conventions can be adapted to Arctic conditions, forming the basis for work package 3. This is especially relevant now, in light of ongoing international negotiations for a legally binding global plastics treaty.

In work package 4, GOMPLAR researchers from SINTEF Ocean participate as observers in the UNEP-led negotiations. They have attended all five negotiation rounds, followed various negotiation groups, and written reports based on their observations. Several scientific publications have resulted from this work. The researchers pay special attention to how Arctic interests are addressed during the negotiations. During the fifth negotiation round in Busan, South Korea, in November 2024, it became clear that no international agreement could be reached.

The researchers are also active in other international arenas and participated in the scientific committee of the Arctic Plastics Conference in Reykjavik in November 2023.

In work package 5, the study on circular economy in Svalbard has been completed, and the fieldwork related to the Tromsø-based initiative Trygt i havn (“Safe in Port”) has been fully documented. In August 2024, the project organized a roundtable conference during Arendalsuka, with participation from key stakeholders responsible for waste infrastructure in Norwegian fishing ports.

The GOMPLAR project has also been represented at major conferences such as Arctic Frontiers 2023, Arctic Circle 2023, and Arctic Plastics 2023.

Contact

Anne Katrine Normann

Researcher - Tromsø

anno@norceresearch.no
+47 971 59 069

Project facts

Name

GOMPLAR - Governance of Marine Plastic Litter in the Arctic

Status

Active

Duration

01.10.21 - 31.12.25

Location

Tromsø

Total budget

12.000.000 NOK

Research areas

Research group

Research Topics

Funding

Research Council of Norway (RCN)

Prosjekteier

UiT Norges arktiske universitet

Project members

Emily Christine Cowan
Rachel Gjelsvik Tiller
Anne Elaine Gaspers
Alexei Bambulyak
Leilei Zhou
Elizabeth Mendenhall
Kari Fischer

Samarbeidspartnere

UiT Norges arktiske universitet, NORCE, SINTEF
Publications
From streets to seas: New greener ways to analyse urban snow pollution – Davie-Martin, Cleo Lisa; Håland, Alexander; Pedersen, Kristine B.; Normann, Anne Katrine Meinich. 2025, Fram Forum. NILU, AKVAPLAN, UIT.
Explaining Actors and Interests in International Agreement-Making: The Development, Contribution, and Limits of Orchestration Theory – Cowan, Emily Christine. 2025, . OCEAN.
Event Ethnography in Practice: Insights into Multilateral-Environmental Negotiations (MEAs) – Cowan, Emily Christine. 2025, . OCEAN.
See all publications in Cristin
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