COP30 Cryosphere Pavilion: Call for Side Events and ECS Volunteers

Dear Friends of the Cryosphere Pavilion and Cryosphere Capsule Readers!

The COP30 Cryosphere Pavilion side event application portal will open on August 1! In this first COP to take place in Amazonía — like Cryosphere, threatened by critical thresholds or “tipping points” — we plan to again carry forward the cryosphere’s message towards urgent ambition as governments finalize their next round of climate pledges, or NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions). The Cryosphere Pavilion again will be in the Blue Zone, and take place in coordination with Ambition on Melting Ice (AMI) High-level Group Co-chair Iceland.

Breadth is strongly encouraged: scientists, Indigenous Peoples, Youth and all those who participate in Cryosphere Pavilion side events help raise the global and regional benefits of avoided cryosphere loss with 1.5°C-consistent NDCs. 2025 is also the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation (with a strong focus on ties to downstream water resources) and the beginning of the Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences. In recognition of those initiatives, we will focus on the importance of science to inform emissions goals, especially the urgently needed transition from fossil fuels.

There is no charge for side events, though we welcome funding and sponsorship from governments, IGOs, foundations, academic institutions and other stakeholders to ensure a fully inclusive breadth of representation and activities. Sponsors are invited to create Pavilion wall posters as part of the permanent Pavilion exhibit. Given the UNFCCC’s expressed constraints in terms of COP30 accreditation numbers, largely virtual side events are also welcome but we do ask for at least one in-person participant whenever possible.

Side event applications will be open through Monday, September 1. We’ll also be holding two information zoom sessions during the second week of August to accommodate different time zones globally; keep an eye on this space for further information and the application portal link.

For Early Career Scientists: we will again host 6-8 ECS volunteers to help staff the Pavilion as well as observe and learn about how science informs the UNFCCC negotiation process; look for a separate announcement and zoom information session on that program in coming days.

If you have additional questions, please contact ICCI Outreach Director Amy Imdieke: amy@iccinet.org. We hope to see many of you in Belém!

Pam Pearson, Director, ICCI
Amy Imdieke, Global Outreach Director and Pavilion Manager, ICCI