The Arctic lies at the heart of a new global race. Climate change is opening new routes and making resource-rich areas accessible — lands that, once upon a time, were out of reach [1].

Beneath the layer of permafrost lie significant concentrations of metals and hydrocarbons. According to the 2008 U.S. Geological Survey — still the most recent public assessment — around 15% of the world’s undiscovered metal reserves such as nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements, 30% of natural gas, and 13% of untapped oil may be located beneath the Arctic tundra [2].

The route points North. We wrote about it in January 2025, and January 2026 brought further confirmation.

While the international focus is still on Greenland, what is happening further west is often treated as local news. Away from the geopolitical spotlight, in Alaska, the United States is moving forward with plans to explore and exploit the resources hidden beneath ice and frozen ground [3].

In June 2025, the Trump administration lifted the veto imposed by the Biden administration on oil drilling in some of Alaska’s most sensitive protected areas, while also authorising new infrastructure to transport extracted materials [3].

By February 2026, the administration further undermined climate regulations, revoking the legal basis for greenhouse gas controls under the Clean Air Act, a move that critics warn could exacerbate environmental risks across the United States [4].

In October 2025, the Ambler Road Project was officially approved, described by the White House as being of “vital importance to the defense and economic prosperity of the United States” [5].

The project consists of a 211-mile gravel road (approximately 340 km) — longer than the distance between Brussels and Paris — designed to connect the Ambler Mining District to the Dalton Highway, Alaska’s main transport artery. The route would cross Native lands and protected areas. The infrastructure is intended exclusively for industrial transport and would not be open to public use [6].

Figure 1: Site Location of the future Ambler Road. Author, 2026.