Should Greenland mine its uranium?

Greenland will be making a decision within the next year or two about whether to mine its uranium reserves as a by-product of mines where other minerals are the primary target. Any such decision is accompanied by a variety of domestic and foreign policy concerns that will challenge the devolution of powers between Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Kingdom's non-proliferation and disarmament policies.

Dialogue between Copenhagen and Nuuk is essential before a final decision on mining is made. They should include all stakeholders in uranium exportation from the mining and nuclear industries to international organisations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Euratom. This dialogue must also identify the resources required for uranium exportation and aim at maximising the degree of regulation: the worst-case scenario should not be that Greenland's uranium be diverted or misused for weapons purposes.

Given the Kingdom's nuclear history and non-nuclear weapons status, a study of the non-proliferation and security issues surrounding uranium exportation are required before extraction begins. If Greenland does decide to reverse its zero tolerance policy on mining uranium, it has the potential to become a very large supplier on the global market. If done sensibly, this will give Greenland and Denmark the opportunity to become industry leaders in strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime.