A message from the Frozen World to Global Leaders at COP29

All people on Earth depend on the cryosphere. Snow, glaciers, ice sheets, sea ice, and permafrost stabilize the global climate and are significant reservoirs and sources of freshwater, sustaining ecosystems and supporting livelihoods. However, anthropogenic emissions are driving rapid changes in the cryosphere, leading to global consequences including rising sea levels, loss of water resources, accelerated warming, extreme weather events, and significant impacts on biodiversity, ecosystems, and human livelihoods.

High-level, 12/11/2024 (informazione.it - comunicati stampa - ambiente)

" Norway, as chair of the Arctic Council, recognizes the cryosphere's critical role and is committed to amplifying the urgent message from the polar and high mountain regions," said Morten Høglund, Chair of the Arctic Council. "We must leverage scientific research and Indigenous Knowledge to tackle these issues. The Arctic Council is vital for this collaboration, yet this is a global concern. To slow irreversible climate change, we must keep global temperatures below 1.5°C."

The side event will highlight the changes scientists, Indigenous Peoples and national policy makers are observing and navigating firsthand. It will stress the critical need to tackle emissions and advocate for decisive action based on the latest data and policy recommendations.

A significant population in the cryosphere regions are Indigenous Peoples. "Inuit are a people of the cryosphere. We are deeply and intrinsically connected with sea ice and the nature of a frozen landscape for traveling, hunting, safely living on our lands and harvesting our marine resources. In recent years, Inuit have increasingly been impacted by the lack of ice, which affects our health, wellbeing and livelihoods, thereby impacting our collective and individual rights," says Sara Olsvig, Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council.