Launch of International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation (IYGP) 2025

WMO Headquarters in Geneva, 21 January 2025

A high-level launch event at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in Geneva on Tuesday marked the official start of the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation (IYGP), to highlight the need for immediate and deep emissions reductions to “preserve” the critical role of glaciers; and address the equally-urgent challenges posed by accelerated glacier melt. Scaling up political ambition to stay within the 1.5°C Paris limit is essential for glaciers and the billions of people that depend on them; and 2025 also marks the next round of climate commitments (Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. IYGP therefore provides both an opportunity to raise awareness about the critical role of mountain cryosphere to mountain and downstream communities, and the need for fossil fuel emissions reductions on a global scale. Speakers at the launch event included the cryosphere scientific community, policymakers, representatives from impacted communities, and finance institutions.

Launch Event program: https://wmo.int/events/meeting/high-level-curtain-raiser-launch-of-international-year-of-glaciers-preservation-2025-iygp-2025
Livestream recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uAPnXmRyR8