{"id":4769,"date":"2023-05-30T20:35:08","date_gmt":"2023-05-30T20:35:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iccinet.org\/?page_id=4769"},"modified":"2025-11-04T14:17:17","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T14:17:17","slug":"media-center","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/iccinet.org\/sv\/media-center\/","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/b>Latest news<\/span><\/b><\/h3><\/div>\n

[ Embargoed until November 6 \u2013 7:00AM EST | 9:00AM Bel\u00e9m | 12:00PM UK | 1:00PM CET ]<\/span><\/h4>\n

Nov 6, 2025<\/span> \u2013 Release of the State of the Cryosphere Report 2025<\/h4>\n

Global ice loss dangerously expanding, scientists say, yet growing damage from melting glaciers and ice sheets can still be prevented \u2013 barely.<\/em><\/p>\n

Current unambitious climate commitments, leading the world to well over 2\u00b0C of warming, spell disaster for billions of people from global ice loss, but that damage can still be prevented, according to an assessment<\/a> released today.<\/p>\n

Latest research detailed in the 2025 State of the Cryosphere Report notes thresholds likely at just 1\u00b0C of warming for the stability of polar ice sheets, and even lower temperatures for many glaciers. The Report notes that the most proactive climate pathways can bring temperatures down below 1.5\u00b0C by 2100 and below 1\u00b0C mark next century \u2013 but only if reductions begin immediately. Currently, emissions are still climbing not just cryosphere (ice and snow) melt but ocean acidification that has reached dangerous levels in polar waters, say the scientists.<\/p>\n

Coordinated by the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative (ICCI), over 50 leading cryosphere scientists detail accelerating melt from the cryosphere since signing of the Paris Agreement in 2015. The Report warns that costs of loss and damage due to continued high emissions \u2013 leading towards 3\u00b0C \u2013 will be even more extreme, with many regions experiencing sea-level rise or water resource loss well beyond adaptation limits in coming decades or even today, as the tragic damage on Jamaica showed in late October.<\/p>\n

The Report also notes a growing scientific consensus that freshwater pouring off the melting Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, together with warmer waters, seem to be slowing important ocean currents at both poles, which would wreak havoc on ocean ecosystems and bring much colder temperatures to northern Europe.<\/p>\n

Media Event in Bel\u00e9m and Online:<\/strong> A press event on the report\u2019s release will be held at COP30 (Blue Zone) in Bel\u00e9m on Thursday, Nov. 13 at 18:30 BRT in the Cryosphere Pavilion, and livestreamed at www.youtube.com\/@iccinet<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n Full Press Release & List of Interview Partners<\/span>\n <\/a>\n\n

<\/b>Past Press Releases<\/span><\/b><\/h3><\/div>\n

June 17, 2025<\/span> \u2013 Two Sides of the Same Ice Cube: Latest Research Shows Thresholds for Ice Sheets and Glaciers Well Below the 1.5\u00b0C Paris Limit<\/h4>\n

Emissions reductions even more urgent than we thought, scientists tell UN negotiators during first week of Bonn climate meetings.<\/em><\/p>\n

BONN, GERMANY: Major tipping points for Earth\u2019s ice sheets and mountain glaciers can occur at temperatures well below 1.5\u00b0C, say scientists briefing UN climate negotiators here on Tuesday. Lead authors of parallel keystone papers \u2013 one on ice sheets, the second on glaciers \u2013 urge governments to adopt far more ambitious climate commitments by COP30 to prevent the worst impacts.<\/p>\n

“Historical records show that even current warming levels at 1.2\u00b0C, if sustained, will likely lead to several meters of sea-level rise over coming centuries,” says Dr. Chris Stokes, who led several IPCC scientists evaluating current evidence on polar ice sheets. “This will result in extensive loss and damage to coastlines, making adaptation not just challenging, but impossible.”<\/p>\n

Earth\u2019s glaciers face an equally dire fate, with four regions – the European Alps, Rockies of the Western U.S. and Canada, Iceland, and Scandinavia – committed to losing at least half their ice at or below sustained 1\u00b0C. These same regions lose nearly all ice at 2\u00b0C. Dr. Harry Zekollari, who co-led an author team of more than 20 glacier scientists, notes that only 24% of present-day glacier mass will remain if the world warms to 2.7\u00b0C, the trajectory set by current climate policies. In contrast, limiting warming to 1.5\u00b0C would preserve 54% of global glacier ice, with 10-25% in even the most sensitive regions.<\/p>\n

\u201cStaying close to 1.5\u00b0C preserves at least some glacier ice nearly everywhere, with 40-45% in the Himalayas and Caucuses, stressing the growing urgency of the 1.5\u00b0C temperature goal and rapid decarbonization to achieve it,\u201d says Zekollari.<\/p>\n\n Press Conference<\/span>\n <\/i><\/a>\n\n\n Download Media Advisory<\/span>\n <\/i><\/a>\n\n\n Ice Sheets Paper Summary<\/span>\n <\/a>\n\n\n Glaciers Paper Summary<\/span>\n <\/a>\n\n

May 29, 2025<\/span> \u2013 New Projections Show Extreme Glacier Loss Already at 2\u00b0C: Urgent Transition from Fossil Fuels Needed to Avoid Glacier Tipping Points<\/em><\/h4>\n

This press release covers a landmark study on glacier extinction, released on May 29, the eve of the UN Glacier Conference in Tajikistan:<\/em><\/p>\n

The study published in Science<\/em> finds that glaciers are even more sensitive to global warming than previously estimated; with only 24% of present-day glacier mass remaining if the world warms to 2.7\u00b0C, the trajectory set by current climate policies. In contrast, limiting warming to 1.5\u00b0C would preserve 54% of glacier mass.<\/p>\n

These figures however are global, skewed mostly by the very large glaciers around Antarctica and Greenland. The glacier regions most important to human communities are even more sensitive, with several losing nearly all glacier ice already at 2\u00b0C. This includes the glaciers of the European Alps, the Rockies of the Western U.S. and Canada, and Iceland, with only 10-15% of their 2020 ice levels remaining at 2\u00b0C sustained warming. Most hard-hit would be Scandinavia, with no glacier ice remaining at 2\u00b0C at all.<\/p>\n

All four of these regions are committed to losing at least half their ice already at or below 1\u00b0C; starkly mirroring a paper released last week setting the safe margin for Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets at or below that same 1\u00b0C level. Even the Hindu Kush Himalaya, where glaciers feed river basins supporting 2 billion people, show only 25% of 2020 ice remaining at 2\u00b0C. Staying close to 1.5\u00b0C on the other hand preserves at least some glacier ice in all regions, even Scandinavia, with 20-30% remaining in the four most sensitive regions; and 40-45% in the Himalayas and Caucuses; stressing the growing urgency of the 1.5\u00b0C temperature goal and rapid decarbonization to achieve it.<\/p>\n

The full press release is available below, including links to additional materials including newly-produced glacier animations showing loss to 2100 in several key glaciers.<\/p>\n

Additional information:<\/strong>
\u2022 \u201cGlacier preservation doubled by limiting warming to 1.5\u00b0C versus 2.7\u00b0C\u201d (Science): https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/science.adu4675<\/a>
\u2022 High-Level International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation (May 29-31, Dushanbe): https:\/\/dushanbeicgp2025.com\/<\/a>
\u2022 \u201cWarming of +1.5\u2009\u00b0C is too high for polar ice sheets\u201d (Communications Earth & Environment): https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s43247-025-02299-w<\/a><\/p>\n\n Download Press Release<\/span>\n <\/i><\/a>\n\n\n Full Paper<\/span>\n <\/a>\n\n\n Additional Materials (Glacier Animations, Images)<\/span>\n <\/a>\n\n

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March 12, 2025<\/span> \u2013 Record-breaking CO2 Levels a Grim Milestone for Earth\u2019s Polar Regions<\/h4>\n

Daily average atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels have exceeded 430 ppm for the first time since records began, and likely for the first time in at least 3 million years, raising a red flag that today\u2019s fossil fuel emissions are pushing the climate into greater and more deadly extremes.<\/p>\n

Within the past week, the Mauna Loa Observatory has twice<\/a> recorded daily average CO2 levels above 430 ppm, reaching a new record of 430.60 ppm on March 7, and 430.19 ppm on March 10. This monitoring station maintains the world’s longest record of measurements of atmospheric CO2, charting the accumulation of greenhouse gases in Earth\u2019s atmosphere from 1958 to present.<\/p>\n

“This upward trajectory is a direct result of continued fossil fuel use, likely exacerbated by emissions from extreme wildfires last year, methane leaks from fossil fuel extraction and possibly greater permafrost emissions, alongside decreased ability of very warm oceans to absorb CO2,” said Dr. James Kirkham, Chief Scientist of the Ambition on Melting Ice coalition of governments. “While largely symbolic, passing 430 ppm should be a wake-up call, especially given the accelerated response we are seeing of glaciers and ice sheets to current warming.”<\/p>\n

Available for additional quotes:<\/strong>
\u2022 Dr. Sian Henley, Reader in Marine Science and Deputy Head of Global Change Research Institute, University of Edinburgh: s.f.henley@ed.ac.uk<\/a> | +44-7818-082630
\u2022 Dr. Twila Moon, Deputy Lead Scientist, National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) | twila.moon@colorado.edu<\/a>
\u2022 Dr. Joeri Rogelj, Director of Research at the Grantham Institute, Professor of Climate Science and Policy, Imperial College London, IPCC lead author | j.rogelj@imperial.ac.uk<\/a>
\u2022 Dr. James Kirkham, Chief Science Advisor, Ambition on Melting Ice (AMI) High-level Group: james@iccinet.org<\/a> | +44-7581-560936<\/p>\n\n Download Press Release<\/span>\n <\/i><\/a>\n\n\n Daily CO2 tracker, using Mauna Loa Observatory data (NOAA)<\/span>\n <\/a>\n\n

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Nov 22, 2024<\/span> \u2013 Open Letter: An S.O.S. From the Poles to World Leaders at COP29<\/h4>\n

Media Event | November 22nd, 2024, 13:00 (GMT+4) | Cryosphere Pavilion, Area E, A8 of the Blue Zone at COP29<\/p>\n

On the last day of a deadlocked COP29, a group of leading polar and glacier research organizations issued an Open Letter urging immediate and substantial action to address the escalating climate crisis due to the risk of triggering irreversible global impacts from polar ice melt.<\/p>\n

The Open Letter has been endorsed by, among others the World Climate Research Program (WCRP), Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the European Polar Board (EPB), and the International Glaciological Society (IGS). Taken at the initiative of several polar research programs alarmed at the lack of inaction in the face of growing observations of polar ice loss, the letter underscores the urgent need to uphold the +1.5\u00b0C global warming threshold set by the 2015 UN Paris Agreement.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe changes in the cryosphere are not isolated events,\u201d the letter emphasizes. \u201cThey cascade into widespread and severe impacts on climate stability, ecosystems, livelihoods, economies, and the safety of societies worldwide.\u201d The research bodies stress that exceeding the +1.5\u00b0C threshold risks triggering climate tipping points, with devastating consequences for current and future generations. They call on world leaders to meet their commitments under the 2015 UN Paris Agreement and implement robust policies and measures to keep the +1.5\u00b0C limit achievable.<\/p>\n\n Download Press Release<\/span>\n <\/a>\n\n\n Open the full Open Letter<\/span>\n <\/a>\n\n\n Watch LIvestream<\/span>\n <\/i><\/a>\n\n

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Nov 20, 2024<\/span> \u2013 Ministers Call on Greater Progress at COP29 in Baku: 1.5\u00b0C to Avert Disastrous Global Loss and Damage from Ice Melt<\/h4>\n

Press Conference | Nov 20th, 2024, 18-18:30 AZT | Room Karabakh, COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan <\/p>\n

As the climate negotiations enter their end phase, members of the Ambition on Melting Ice High-level Group (AMI) on Sea-level Rise and Mountain Water Resources called on all countries to make greater progress at COP29, given sharpening risks of irreversible impacts from cryosphere loss.<\/p>\n

The statement from AMI ministers said that the latest cryosphere science underscores the need for transformative climate action by 2030 to avert \u201cdestabilization, disruption and displacement at global scales\u201d \u2013 all because of growing loss of the planet\u2019s vital ice stores. \u201cLatest science points to feedbacks from polar and mountain regions from our current emissions trajectory that will have extreme and irreversible economic, social and environmental consequences throughout the planet,\u201d said the joint statement, descrying the lack of progress.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a scientist, these impacts terrify me, said Dr. James Kirkham, AMI Chief Scientist. \u201cBut what terrifies me more is that the pace of global action to address these threats remains light-years away from what the science unanimously says we must do to minimize the global damage that continues to grow hour by hour.<\/p>\n\n Download Press Release<\/span>\n <\/a>\n\n\n View the Ministerial Statement<\/span>\n <\/a>\n\n\n Watch Livestream<\/span>\n <\/i><\/a>\n\n

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June 6, 2024<\/span> \u2013 Urgent Ambition Essential for Vulnerable Mountains, Downstream and Low-lying Regions: United Nations Secretary-General Special Address and the 1.5\u00b0C Limit<\/h4>\n

Press Conference | June 6th, 2024, 2:30-3pm CEST | Room Nairobi 4, World Conference Center (WCC), Bonn, Germany<\/p>\n

Scientific experts and representatives from countries in mountain, downstream and low-lying regions will hold a press conference today following United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres\u2019s Special Address yesterday.<\/p>\n

Speaking at the Bonn Climate Change Conference, international experts will describe the effects of what Guterres called \u201cthe climate road to hell\u201d for people living in mountain and low-lying regions. These countries are on the frontline of the climate crisis and are already suffering severe impacts even before 1.5\u00b0C of warming. The participants will explain why 1.5\u00b0C is an essential limit, not merely \u201cambitious\u201d, and how each fraction of a degree counts with growing and irreversible damage from snow and ice regions ongoing today.<\/p>\n

All participants will be available for interview after the press conference in Bonn or virtually.
<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Download Press Release<\/span>\n <\/a>\n\n\n AMI Press Advisory<\/span>\n <\/a>\n\n\n Watch UN Livestream (With Slides)<\/span>\n <\/i><\/a>\n\n

If you have any media questions or would like to set up an interview, please contact:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Irene Quaile<\/strong>, ICCI: irene@iccinet.org | +49 177 8412930<\/p>\n

Amy Imdieke<\/strong>, ICCI: amy@iccinet.org | +1 507 321 3255
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Annie Dare<\/strong>, ICIMOD: Annie.Dare@icimod.org | +44 7791 110 089<\/p>\n

James Whiteman<\/strong>, Blakeney: icimod@theblakeneygroup.com | +44 557 106 201
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Dec 12, 2023<\/span> \u2013 Snow and Ice Scientists Alarmed at Weak Climate Outcome: 1000 Scientists Issue Call to COP28: \u201cThis Insanity Must Not Continue\u201d<\/h4>\n

December 12th, 2023 | COP28 Blue Zone, Dubai, United Arab Emirates<\/p>\n

Alarmed at the lack of urgency the past two weeks in Dubai, over 1000 cryosphere scientists have called on leaders at COP28 to heed signals from what they call ground zero for climate change: the Earth\u2019s cryosphere, or snow and ice regions. Calling the continued rise in CO2 from fossil fuels \u201cinsanity,\u201d the scientists \u2013 many of them IPCC authors \u2013 urged the inclusion of \u201cice\u201d factors explicitly in the Global Stocktake language. \u201cYesterday\u2019s text refers to cryosphere just once, as one of many \u201cecosystems,\u201d said Dr. Regine Hock, who coordinated the Mountains chapter of the IPCC\u2019s 2019 Special Report on Oceans and the Cryosphere (SROCC). \u201cBut preserving ice sheets and glaciers by cutting fossil fuel emissions holds the key to continued existence for human communities worldwide.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLeaders need to understand that what happens in the cryosphere does not stay there: the impacts are global and mostly irreversible,\u201c said Dr. Florence Colleoni, who leads dozens of Antarctic ice scientists with the international Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research (SCAR). \u201cAnd it\u2019s all about how much CO2 we pump into the atmosphere from fossil fuels.\u201d<\/p>\n

To schedule an interview with one of the leading scientists involved in the Call (and those currently in Dubai attending COP), see the press release and list of contacts linked below.<\/p>\n

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If you have any media questions, please contact:<\/p>\n

Regine Hock,<\/strong> University of Olso (IPCC, Glaciers, Snow)
Contact: regine.hock@geo.uio.no, +47 41323826<\/p>\n

Martin Sommerkorn, <\/strong>Head of Conservation for the WWF Arctic Programme (IPCC, Polar Regions)
Contact: +47 92606995<\/p>\n

Pam Pearson,<\/strong> ICCI Director
Contact: pam@iccinet.org, +46 705752257<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\t

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