Energy & Science

Greenland Scraps All Future Oil Exploration on Climate Concerns

  • Decision is made for the ‘sake of our nature,’ government says
  • Ban may further stymie efforts to gain economic independence

Nuuk, Greenland.

Photographer: Christian Klindt Soelbeck/AFP/Getty Images

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Greenland dropped all plans for future oil exploration on environmental grounds, saying the price of extraction was “too high.”

The island’s socialist-led government, in office since April, has made climate concerns central to its legislative program. While the decision to scrap planned exploration is a win for environmental groups, it cuts off potential investments that could have aided efforts to gain economic independence from Denmark.