New Arctic Atlas Maps Overlaps Between Fossil Fuel Activities and Critical Wildlife Habitats

Scientists Highlight Urgent Need to Keep Fossil Fuels Underground

To limit global warming to the Paris Agreement target of 1.5°C (2.7°F), most oil, gas, and coal reserves must remain unburned. A new study published in PLoS One provides a geographic roadmap for where to prioritize halting fossil fuel activities by mapping overlaps with vulnerable ecosystems, wildlife habitats, and Indigenous lands.

"We’re investigating the idea of unburnable carbon with a geographical perspective. We focus on where to keep oil and gas underground."

Arctic Atlas Identifies High-Risk Zones for Fossil Fuel Expansion

The atlas, created by Codato and a team of researchers, compiles dozens of public datasets from five Arctic regions with active oil and gas industries: Alaska (United States), Canada, Greenland (Denmark), Norway, and Russia. The team used the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) boundary—defined by the Arctic Council’s biodiversity working group—to capture the largest possible area of vulnerable ecosystems.

The maps uncovered 512,000 square kilometers of Arctic territory with existing or planned fossil fuel activities, including leases, exploration licenses, and infrastructure. Within these zones, researchers identified:

• 44,539 active wells
• 40,000 kilometers (25,000 miles) of pipelines

High concentrations of oil and gas activities were found in northwestern Canada, northern Alaska, and northern Russia.

Overlaps Threaten Protected Areas and Key Species

Researchers assessed how fossil fuel activities intersect with protected areas and critical wildlife habitats. Fossil fuel operations threaten ecosystems by fragmenting habitats, disrupting migration routes, and releasing pollutants.

Key findings include:

• More than 7% of oil and gas activity zones overlap with ecologically protected areas.
• More than 13% overlap with the ranges of three critical Arctic species: polar bears, yellow-billed loons, and caribou.

The highest concentrations of fossil fuel activities were located in the Yamal Peninsula (Russia), northwestern Canada, and Alaska’s North Slope—regions home to fragile ecosystems.

Study Aims to Guide Climate and Conservation Policies

The atlas is designed to assist policymakers in identifying where to halt new fossil fuel development or phase out existing operations based on ecological, social, and climate justice criteria. By pinpointing these high-risk zones, the research underscores the urgency of transitioning away from fossil fuels in the Arctic to protect biodiversity and Indigenous communities.