MINNEAPOLIS — Polar explorer Will Steger says he doubts the decision to list the polar bear as a threatened species will mean much more protection for the endangered animals.

But Steger says Wednesday's decision by the U.S. Interior Department at least puts the problem of global warming on the front burner.

Steger spoke via satellite phone from the Canadian Arctic, where he's leading a dogsled expedition to Ellesmere Island.

The team is less than 800 kilometres from the North Pole.

Ironically, Steger says their progress has been complicated by a large concentration of polar bears  in the area hunting seals.

The expedition includes six people in their 20s from the United States, Canada, Britain and Norway. They're seeking to build support among young people for solutions to global warming.