Greenland, the world’s largest island with an area of 2,166,086 km², is a strategic territory with vast reserves of natural resources. With over 80% of its surface covered in ice, its economic potential has sparked growing international interest, especially in a context of accelerated melting due to climate change. This phenomenon has facilitated access to valuable minerals such as uranium, granite, and coveted “rare earths,” essential for the technological industry and energy transition.
Belonging to the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland is not part of the European Union, but its connection to a member state keeps it in the spotlight of the economic and environmental policies of the bloc. Its location, between the Atlantic and the Arctic, makes it a point of strategic dispute due to the opening of new maritime routes as ice melts, shortening navigation times and facilitating the exploitation of its resources.
Polar explorer Ramón Larramendi, who led the first Spanish expedition across the Greenland ice cap four decades ago, emphasizes that the island’s inhabitants see mining as an opportunity to achieve independence. However, high costs and the lack of solid agreements between companies and authorities have slowed down its development.
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“Rare earths”: key in the technological industry
These elements, essential for manufacturing electronic devices, wind turbines, and electric vehicles, are a strategic resource worldwide. Greenland hosts significant deposits, such as Kuannersuit, which could supply close to 20% of the global demand for rare earths, becoming the world’s second-largest mine outside of China.
The Greenlanders seek to attract investments but demand strict environmental conditions, generating uncertainty about the viability of these projects. Paula Adánez, a geological engineer from the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain, points out that although sustainable extraction of these resources is a challenge, it is possible with adequate measures.
Greenland is not only a mineral reserve but also a strategic point in global rivalry. The United States has shown interest in its control, as evidenced by Donald Trump during his term. Rafael Calduch, an expert in International Relations, warns that the nation that dominates these resources will have an advantage in the industry of the future, turning Greenland into a center of geopolitical competition in the coming years.
Greenland holds great environmental value as an ice reserve and for its natural resources. However, climate change threatens its ecosystem and resources.
Greenland
Greenland’s environmental value
It is the planet’s second-largest ice reserve, after Antarctica, not to mention that its land ice plays a crucial role in climate change and rising sea levels, and its Arctic environment is a benchmark for environmental sustainability.
Natural resources
- It has large amounts of oil and natural gas beneath the ice.
- It contains minerals such as gold, zinc, lead, copper, and uranium, as well as essential elements for communication technologies.
- It is an important fishing center.
- It is a traditional hunting ground for seals, whales, and polar bears.
The rising temperatures are melting Greenland’s ice and affecting Arctic ecosystems, modifying the livelihood of the Greenlandic population and could raise sea levels by several meters. For this reason, Greenland is working on renewable energies and a circular economy, as it is necessary to strengthen efforts to address climate change.
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