event

Arctic Leadership—From Washington to Helsinki

Fri. March 11th, 2016
Washington, DC

This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the Arctic Council, with the United States handing over its two-year, rotating chairmanship to Finland in the spring of 2017. The United States and Finland are working closely to ensure continuity of shared chairmanship priorities and a long-term approach to addressing challenges in the Arctic.

What will this transition mean for Arctic issues in the years ahead, and what priorities will shape the conversation around sustainable development? How can environmental and economic imperatives be balanced over the long-term?

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace hosted a conversation between two sitting ambassadors, the Honorable Charles Adams and the Honorable Kirsti Kauppi, as well as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Transformation Melanie Nakagawa, for an exploration of what priorities and outlooks the United States and Finland share on Arctic issues.

Charles C. Adams, Jr.

Charles C. Adams, Jr. is the U.S. ambassador to Finland. Before his nomination, Ambassador Adams was the managing partner in the Geneva, Switzerland office of the law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld.

Kirsti Kauppi

Kirsti Kauppi is the Finnish ambassador to the United States. Her previous post was Vienna, where she served as ambassador of Finland to Austria and as Finland’s permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency and the UN agencies.

David Livingston

David Livingston is an associate in Carnegie’s Energy and Climate Program, where his research focuses on innovation, markets, and risk.

Melanie Nakagawa

Melanie Nakagawa serves as the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of State for energy transformation in the Bureau of Energy Resources.

Climate ChangeNorth AmericaUnited States
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
event speakers

Charles Adams

Charles C. Adams, Jr. is the United States Ambassador to Finland. Before his nomination, Ambassador Adams was the managing partner in the Geneva, Switzerland office of the law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld since 2010.

Kirsti Kauppi

Kirsti Kauppi is the Finland Ambassador to the United States. Her most recent post abroad was Vienna, where she served as Ambassador of Finland and as Finland's Permanent Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA and the UN Agencies.

David Livingston

Associate Fellow, Energy and Climate Program

Livingston was an associate fellow in Carnegie’s Energy and Climate Program, where his research focuses on emerging markets, technologies, and risks.

Melanie Nakagawa

Melanie Nakagawa serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Transformation in the Bureau of Energy Resources.