ACAP Working Group Met in Copenhagen 26 September 2012Arctic Contaminants Action Program The Arctic Contaminants Action Program working group (ACAP) met in Danish Environment Protection Agency premises in Copenhagen 13-14 September. The meeting was led by Jaakko Henttonen, ACAP Chair. Representatives from six Arctic states, as well as the Arctic Council Indigenous Peoples’ Secretariat and Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO), took part in the meeting. Progress was made and many items agreed upon. One of the main issues discussed by the working group was funding of ACAP projects. In the future, Arctic Council Projects can be financed through the Project Support Instrument (PSI) – an Arctic Council funding mechanism managed by NEFCO. ACAP will compile a list of prioritized environmental projects. Some of these projects can then be eligible for financing through PSI. Latest updates on the start-up of the PSI were given by NEFCO adviser Husamuddin Ahmadzai and Vladimir Ivlev, Head of the Russian delegation. ACAP also discussed the reports from its seven Project Steering Groups (PSGs), two of which - “Short-lived Climate Forcer Contaminants” (SLCFC) and “Mercury” demonstrated a high level of recent activity. Another PSG – “Indigenous Peoples Contaminant Action Program” will develop a strategy proposal for future activities and identify the co-chairs. The working group discussed the deliverables for the November SAO meeting and next Ministerial Meeting in Kiruna. The next ACAP meeting will take place in the middle of February, tentatively in Russia.