AXWORTHY TO ASSIST ARCTIC CLIMATE CHANGE COMMISSION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2008

WINNIPEG, MB - Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Winnipeg has accepted an invitation to serve as a commissioner on the Aspen Institute's Dialogue and Commission on Arctic Climate Change. The Commission is composed of scientists, policy experts, oil company executives, and representatives from Arctic native peoples and environmental organizations including David Suzuki, Sheila Watt-Cloutier, Prince Albert of Monaco and Gro Brundtland of Norway.

Recognizing that the circumpolar Arctic region is experiencing significant ecological changes, the Aspen Institute is convening a civil society Commission and Dialogue to assess the implications of global warming for the region's inhabitants and resources.

This initiative compliments Dr. Axworthy and The University of Winnipeg’s keen commitment to the north and specifically, development of a holistic and integrated sustainability plan for Churchill. On August 22, 2008, UWinnipeg and the Town of Churchill signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to identify ways to improve the ecological, economic and social conditions of Churchill, made possible by a significant and generous donation of $100,000 from OmniTRAX, Inc.

The Aspen Institute has bases in Washington, DC, Aspen, Colorado, on the Wye River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and has an international network of partners.
Over the next two years, the Commission will assess the adequacy of current institutional arrangements and international policies to effectively and sustainably manage new levels of commercial and economic activities in the region. The Commission and its work groups will pay particular attention to the need for greater international cooperation in promoting conservation, sustainable development, and shared responsibility.
The Commission will ultimately recommend governance principles and actions that can assist the region's inhabitants to meet the challenges of climate change and help governments and organizations work cooperatively toward a sustainable future.
Detailed information is available at:
http://www.aspeninstitute.org/site/c.huLWJeMRKpH/b.2638873/k.E065/Dialogue_and_Commission_on_Arctic_Climate_Change.htm.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION
Diane Poulin, Communications Officer, The University of Winnipeg
P: 204.988.7135, C: 204.782.3279 E: d.poulin@uwinnipeg.ca