Svalbard’s environmental protection fund postpones the spring allocation to the autumn

The corona pandemic continues to affect society as a whole, including the Svalbard Environmental Protection Fund.

Tourism in Svalbard is largely affected by the pandemic and it is still uncertain when air and boat traffic will return to normal. The main income of the Svalbard Environmental Protection Fund is in the environmental tax which is automatically added to the ticket prices for airlines and cruise companies, the allocations from the fund are thus dependent on the number of visitors to Svalbard.

All allocations from the fund that are made within one year are based on the income in the same year. Since it is very difficult to estimate how this year’s income will be, the board has decided that this spring’s allocation round must also be postponed until the autumn. There will then be a new call, and a new opportunity to submit an application. However, all applications that have been received this spring will be transferred to the autumn, and taken into account then.

Should anyone wish to make changes to an submitted application, you must first withdraw the application and then submit a new one in the autumn. Announcement and application form will be posted on the website and in Svalbardposten on  August 1th, and the new application deadline will be 15 September.