Skip to main content

Self-government and Resource Extraction in Greenland: From Independence to Diverse Bargains?

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Extractive Bargains

Part of the book series: Frontiers of Globalization ((FOG))

  • 172 Accesses

Abstract

Greenland has moved from being a colony of Denmark to having Home Rule and now Self-government. The changing political and legal conditions have had profound impacts on the governance and regulatory framework for resource extraction. From being solely handled by Danish governments until 1979, it was a cooperative arrangement between Denmark and Greenland during the Home Rule period. After 2009 the governance of the subsurface mineral resources has been the responsibility of the Self-government with the only exception being that any royalties from large-scale mining have to be negotiated as part of the Danish annual grant. The Self-government’s construction of an extractive bargain offering independence in return for greater mineral exploitation was rejected by many social actors for numerous reasons including those related to past experiences of extractivism.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 119.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Berry, D. A. (2013). Cryolite: Lessons from history for contemporary practice. ARTEK event: Sustainability in mining in the Arctic, Sisimiut. Arctic Center, Technical University of Denmark.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bjørst, L. R. (2016). Saving or destroying the local community? Conflicting spatial storylines in the Greenlandic debate on uranium. The Extractive Industries and Society, 2016(3, Elsevier), 34–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • BMP. (2009a). Guidelines for preparing an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Bureau of Minerals and Petroleum, Nuuk.

    Google Scholar 

  • BMP. (2009b). Guidelines for Social Impact Assessments for mining projects in Greenland. Bureau of Minerals and Petroleum, Nuuk.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dahl, J. (1977). Miners in Umanaq Municipality (in Danish). Kragestedet.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dahl, J., & Berg, H. (1977). Mining in a catcher society (in Danish). Kragestedet.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dahl, O. (2008). The Nalunaq Goldmine – fifth year (in Danish). Geologisk Nyt 4/08. Economic Council (2013). The economy of Greenland. The Economic Council.

    Google Scholar 

  • GME. (2018). Kvanefjeld project environmental impact assessment. Greenland Minerals & Energy A/S.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenland Commission. (1950). Greenland Commission report. (in Danish).

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenland Committee. (1964). Report from the Greenland Committee 1960, Report nr. 363. (in Danish).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hendriksen, K. (2013). Greenland settlements – Economy and development dynamics, Inussuk, Arktisk forskningsjournal 3, Government of Greenland (in Danish).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hendriksen, K. (2022). The island economy of Greenland (in Danish), Trap Grønland (pp. 232–234).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hertz, O. (1995). Ecology and living conditions in Uummannamiut, Christian. Ejlers’ Forlag. (in Danish).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ilismatusarfik & Copenhagen University. (2014). To the benefit of Greenland. Udvalget for samfundsgavnlig udnyttelse af Grønlands naturressourcer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jørgensen, A. M. (2015). Miner og eftermæler: Qullissat og Marmorilik. Tidsskriftet Grønland, 2015, 3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jørgensen, U. (2003). The hidden networks of knowledge In ISO 14001. Paper. Greening of Industry Network conference, San Francisco.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jørgensen, U. et al. (2013). Social and environmental conditions for mining in Greenland. ARTEK Event: Sustainability in mining in the Arctic, Sisimiut. Arctic Center, Technical University of Denmark.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keskitalo, E. C. H., et al. (2011). Adaptive capacity determinants in developed states: Examples from the Nordic countries and Russia. Regional Environmental Change, 11, 579–592.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • KNR. (2014). Recordings from the conference: The impacts of uranium mining in Greenland and the rest og the world. Organised by Avataq, The Danish Ecological Council, NOAH Friends of the Earth Denmark and Sustainable Energy. Greenlandic Broadcasting Corporation. https://knr.gl/da/radio/impacts-uranium-mining-greenland-and-rest-og-world-03042014

  • Langhoff, R. (2013). Raw material activities in Greenland: With the people’s mandate? Consultation processes and public involvement in the mineral resource area. (In Danish) Inuit Circumpolar Council & World Wide Fund.

    Google Scholar 

  • Naalakkersuisut. (2014). Our raw materials shall create wealth. The oil and mineral strategy of Greenland. Summary. (in Greenlandic). Naalakkersuisut, Nuuk.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nordregio. (2009). Mobility in Greenland (in Danish). Nordregio.

    Google Scholar 

  • Poppel, B., & Stenbæk, M. (2005). Birthplace criteria. In M. Nuttall (Ed.), Encyclopedia of the Arctic (Vol. 1, pp. 261–262). Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Report for Mineral Exploitation in Greenland.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rix, T. K. (2012). Mineplanning in the Aappaluttooq deposit (in Danish). Thesis, Arctic Centre, Technical University of Denmark.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sørensen, S. P. (2013). Qullissat: The city that would not die (in Danish). Frydenlund.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vestergaard, C., & Thomasen, G. (2015). Governing Uranium in the Danish Realm (DIIS Report 2015:17). Danish Institute for International Studies.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ulrik Jørgensen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Jørgensen, U. (2023). Self-government and Resource Extraction in Greenland: From Independence to Diverse Bargains?. In: Bowles, P., Andrews, N. (eds) Extractive Bargains. Frontiers of Globalization. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-32172-6_6

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-32172-6_6

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-32171-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-32172-6

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics