Scientists have spoken out after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said shrinking Arctic sea ice will offer “opportunity and abundance” for industry.

"Passageways" opened up by retreating sea ice could turn the Arctic into a “21st century Panama canal,” he told a meeting of the Arctic Council in Finland Monday, 

Pompeo noted the region was home to vast stores of fossil fuels and other resources. He also said melting sea ice would create new trade routes. Arctic sea lanes, he added could “potentially slash the time it takes to travel between Asia and the West by as much as 20 days.

Pompeo did not use the words “climate change” once during his 2,400-word speech, according to the AP. He did say, however, that “America is the world's leader in caring for the environment,” adding that President Donald Trump was committed “to leveraging resources in environmentally responsible ways.

Pompeo’s speech was a surprise to the Council, which primarily aims to protect the region’s environment and inhabitants, said political scientist Malgorzata Smieszek, who is a fellow at non-profit group the International Arctic Science Committee.