ABSTRACT
The burning of fossil fuels has also led to the alteration of the Earth’s atmosphere, which may cause significant changes in global climate, the rate of which is unprecedented in the Earth’s history. A growing awareness of the issues, which have become known as global changes, has raised concern among scientists, various non-governmental organisations, the private sector and the general public. The emphasis of global change research, which traditionally was focused on global-scale aspects of climate change, is shifting towards regional and local implications of these changes. The involvement of stakeholders in regional climate impact assessment is also warranted on another important consideration. Assessing the consequences of global changes comprehensively requires an approach that goes beyond the mere biophysical aspects. The International Arctic Science Committee, which represents the principle research organisation in the Arctic, recognised early on that global changes and their impacts represent topics of particular importance.
