Melting Security – Indigenous Livelihood in the Canadian Arctic

Abstract: The COP21 Paris Agreement is considered a milestone on the way to limiting global warming to 1.5°C. For the first time in history, a climate convention is signed by all 198 members of the UNFCCC, with each signatory state being responsible for developing their own climate strategy that considers the national circumstances. Given Canada’s colonial history, the Canadian government has a special responsibility for ensuring that Nunavut’s Inuit communities experience adequate protection of their cultural identity in times of changing environmental conditions. While studies on Inuit vulnerability to climate change are manifold, research on the political protection of Inuit cultural identity is still fragmentary. Therefore, this thesis seeks to uncover how Inuit perceptions of societal security are assured within Canada’s climate policies by carrying out a text-based analysis of Canada’s nationally determined contributions to the Paris Agreement. The research question this study aims to answer is: How are societal security matters of Nunavut’s Inuit communities addressed in Canada’s climate change policies aligned to the Paris Agreement? The analysis finds that the needs expressed by Nunavut’s Inuit communities throughout the coded publications are not adequately approached within the government’s climate strategies. Although the needs of Canada's indigenous communities are not entirely left out, a strong focus on industrial challenges can be identified, with Canada seemingly afraid to lose its economic strength while transitioning to net-zero emissions.