Wishing You a Good Cryosphere New Year!

To the widespread Cryosphere community, we wish you a fulfilling and inspiring 2023! Thanks to everyone — from researchers in the field, those developing and implementing policies, and communities on the local level — for your hard work in protecting the cryosphere, and thus both human and ecosystem well-being for future generations.

This email marks our final “Cryosphere Capsules” of 2022. It has been a remarkable year, filled with major accomplishments in cryosphere science and policy. ICCI published more than one hundred Capsules this past year, covering diverse topics on polar oceans, ice sheets, glaciers, permafrost, sea ice and more — all with a specific focus on climate change not just in cryosphere regions; but on the vast and in most cases, irreversible impacts of cryosphere loss on ecosystems and human communities around the planet.

This past year also brought some success for the inclusion of cryosphere and its global impacts in global climate policy. During COP27, twenty countries came together to form the Ambition on Melting Ice (AMI) coalition, to raise awareness that global emissions must be reduced on a much more rapid timeline, to limit cryosphere loss and its permanent consequences. Another major milestone was the COP27 cover decision’s direct reference to the need for better understanding of the impacts of climate change on the cryosphere. At the same time, much work remains to be done; and we look forward to renewed energy and efforts in 2023.

Our regular Cryosphere Capsules will resume on January 6. If you would like to read any of the Capsules from the past year, please visit the ICCI website, select “Publications” and click on Cryosphere Capsules.

Have a wonderful holiday, and we look forward to connecting with you in 2023!

The ICCI Cryosphere Capsules Team