Kerry visits Arctic Circle to see climate impacts

Secretary of State John Kerry visited Norway on Thursday to see firsthand the impacts of climate change in the Arctic Circle.

Kerry and Norwegian Foreign Minister Børge Brende traveled on a science boat in the north of Norway to see areas where melted ice has opened new sea lanes, The Associated Press reported. The trip, led by Jan-Gunnar Winther, the director of the Norwegian Polar Institute, crossed the Kongsfjorden, or King’s Bay fjord, to the glacier.

{mosads}Winther said the glacier has receded in recent years as summertime temperatures rose by as much as 11 degrees, according to the AP.

Kerry described the scene as “stunning” and noted “the power of nature and the importance of our respecting it.”

Kåre R. Aas, Norway’s ambassador to the U.S., also hailed the trip on Twitter, writing that it was an important opportunity for Kerry to “hear about the receding glaciers” and “witness #climatechange firsthand.”

Secretary Kerry’s visit to #Svalbard provided opportunity to witness #climatechange firsthand & discuss way forward pic.twitter.com/Cm5yf9bzOh

— Kåre R. Aas (@kareraas) June 16, 2016

Secretary Kerry arriving in the Norwegian #Arctic to visit @NorskPolar Int. & to hear about the receding glaciers pic.twitter.com/sLW59dD7E4

— Kåre R. Aas (@kareraas) June 16, 2016

Addressing climate issues has been a keystone of Kerry’s tenure as secretary of State. He helped reach a landmark environmental agreement at last year’s United Nations climate conference in Paris. The accord aims to reduce worldwide greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming to no more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial temperatures.

Kerry enthusiastically celebrated the signing of the agreement in April.

“The power of this agreement is the opportunity it creates, the powerful message it sends to the marketplace,” he said.

Kerry has also focused on Arctic issues, representing the U.S. since 2015 as chairman of the Arctic Council, a group of eight countries in the Arctic territory including Norway.

Previously, Kerry established an Arctic envoy, a longtime request of lawmakers from Alaska, concerned about the increasing competition for resources in the region amid climate change.

But Kerry’s focus on climate issues in the Arctic has also attracted criticism from one top Republican. Senate Energy Committee Chairwoman Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) met with Kerry last year and pressed him to focus more on economic issues than climate.

“I have stated to many that while climate is a very real and a very pressing issue, that is not and should not be the sole focus of the United States’ priorities when we assume the chairmanship,” Murkowski said at the time.

Kerry is scheduled to continue on to Denmark and view ice caps in Greenland on Friday.