Signal Arctic warming four times faster; shipping mileage up 108% in a decade

Summary

The Arctic is heating up four times faster than the planet as a whole, and September sea ice is shrinking by 12% each decade. EY reports that summers without sea ice could arrive as soon as the 2030s. As the ice retreats, shipping routes become a valuable new resource. The distance sailed in Arctic waters rose by 108% between 2013 and 2024, which EY treats as an early sign of a larger commercial shift. It cites a Chinese container ship that halved its travel time between China and Europe by taking the Northern Sea Route instead of the Suez Canal.