Two key steps Greenland should take to make sure mining benefits all its citizens

By adopting world-class standards and creating a sovereign wealth fund, Greenland can ensure mining serves its best interests.

Greenland has vast mineral resources, including nickel, gold, and uranium, but at present the country only has two producing mines. Although Greenland has had autonomous rule since 2009, the economy depends on Danish subsidies, which represent one-third of national income. Greenland’s government has identified the mining industry as a source of national revenue and local jobs. The 2019-2023 National Mineral Strategy sets the goal of simplifying the transition from resource exploration to exploitation, and the nation is actively seeking foreign investment in the mining sector. There is tremendous potential for growth. A 2018 Danish geological study inferred resources of 125,000 tons of uranium under the Kvanefjeld Plateau (the sixth-largest deposit in the world), at a time when 70 new nuclear reactors are under construction globally.