ABSTRACT
This chapter offers an overview of trends in offshore regulation around the Arctic by stepping back to consider more broadly the detailed discussions of national regulatory systems by Pelaudeix, Sidortsov and Canuel. Many binding and non-binding international instruments are available to inform national regulators responsible for their government's oversight of Arctic offshore oil and gas operations. Using the Arctic hydrocarbon hiatus of 2015 for such exchange is not only prudent, it is critical to ensure the continued availability and productivity of all Arctic resources for the benefit of the Arctic and its people for generations to come. The chapter suggests that Arctic offshore regulators should work nationally and collectively to address these and any other common themes in light of three developments across the North: the Drilling Downturn, Climate Change, and the move toward Integrated Management. Climate change and integrated management have the potential to reshape how offshore oil and gas are regulated in the Arctic.
