6 PERSPECTIVES ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS | VOL 41 | 2023 While Greenland is not the only Indigenous Arctic territory that desires independence, its unique status within the Kingdom of Denmark makes Greenland the only one with a roadmap to sovereignty. More importantly, with that roadmap, Greenland can choose precisely when it wants to become independent, allowing it to lay down political, economic, societal, and any other necessary groundwork before making the decision to become an independent nation. However, this unique situation poses challenges to Greenland in that once it improves one aspect of its society on its roadmap, other elements change, or new factors are added, making it difficult to choose an exact path to take. Greenland’s desire for independence is of the utmost importance to the Kingdom of Denmark; its Arctic strategy depends upon Greenland remaining within the Kingdom. In a 2016 poll, 34% of Greenlandic residents indicated that independence was crucial to them and 25% that it was somewhat important, whereas it was partly or not very important to 24% (Grydehøj, 2020). These figures skyrocketed in a 2019 poll, showing that 67.7% of the population supports independence, and of those, 43.5% believe that independence will strengthen the Greenlandic economy. Many advocates of independence are calling for change within the next 20 years (Spadetto, 2021). There is an overwhelming drive for independence in Greenland, and although politicians are not rushing to seek it immediately, the people may prefer otherwise. Therefore, if Denmark wants to keep Greenland within its reign in the long term, it needs to emphasize the needs of the Greenlandic people in its foreign strategy. Recommendations Denmark and Greenland have had a tumultuous relationship at times, with Greenland feeling slighted in international and intra-realm spaces as well as in its call for independence. At the moment, Greenland’s hopes for independence are dampened by the substantial contribution of Denmark’s block grant to the nation’s GDP, along with the fact that it is currently very costly to begin a project in Greenland, with an uncertain payoff for potential investors, such as the US and China. If Greenland’s economy can overcome this monetary hurdle through tourism, mining, or other sources of income, independence may be close. Therefore, Denmark must strengthen its relationship with Greenland due to its geopolitical and economic stakes, which can be accomplished on three levels of the world stage. To bolster this relationship publicly, Denmark can grant Greenland and the Faroe Islands greater autonomy on the world stage. As detailed in this article, Greenland makes its most significant contribution to the Arctic Council through the Inuit Circumpolar Council, not on behalf of the Danish Realm. If Greenland were offered more substantial responsibility at these meetings, it would signify to Greenland and the world that Denmark values the nation’s input and respects Greenland providing the Kingdom of Denmark a claim to the Arctic in the first place. To enhance the intercountry relationship, Denmark should emphasize the Greenlandic perspective when drafting foreign and security policies, specifically regarding the Arctic, due to the need for Greenlandic representation. Denmark could allow Greenland to craft and present an Arctic Policy to the Danish government before legislators even consider working on a policy for the whole Kingdom. As Arctic affairs are a lived experience for the people of Greenland, they have the most vital perspective for the Kingdom and deserve to have their voices heard with greater significance. Finally, Denmark can socially foster its relationship with Greenland by creating initiatives to integrate Danish and Greenlandic culture and society. With more than 2000 miles between them, it is no wonder that the two countries can experience a disconnect. By including the Greenlandic culture more in Danish society and having open and honest discussions about colonialism and the impact of Danish sovereignty, the two nations can progress toward healing old wounds and potentially establishing a new, more amicable relationship than ever before. Whether or not Greenland becomes independent, an improved relationship can lead to increased Danish investments in Greenland, strengthening the intercountry bonds. References Arctic Portal. (n.d.). Arctic cooperation. The Arctic Gateway. Brix, L. (2017, November 30). Claim to the Arctic rests on a shelf. ScienceNordic. Bülow, C. G. (2018, September 3). Friend or foe: The Chinese interest in Greenland and how it impacts the relationship between Greenland and Denmark [Master’s thesis]. University of Southern Denmark. Fleener, C. L. (2013). U.S. Arctic policy: A race for the Arctic, intelligence and national security implications [Master’s thesis]. American Military University. Frederiksen, M. Q. (2019, September 27.). 4 ways climate change is opening the Arctic up for business. World Economic Forum. Goodman, S., & Maddox, M. (2018, November 19). China’s growing Arctic presence. Wilson Center.
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