International Cryosphere Climate Initiative

ICCI SERVES AS A NETWORK BETWEEN SCIENTISTS, POLICYMAKERS, AND PEOPLE AFFECTED BY CLIMATE CHANGES IN THE CRYOSPHERE, SUCH AS THE ARCTIC, ANDES, AND HIMALAYAS.

COP-26 CRYOSPHERE PAVILION:COP-26 IN GLASGOW SAW THE SECOND CRYOSPHERE PAVILION, WHICH BUILT ON THE COP-25 PAVILION EXPERIENCE. DUE TO THE IMPORTANCE OF SUFFICIENTLY AMBITIOUS 2030 NDCS, THE COP-26 PAVILION FOCUSED ON THE IMPLICATIONS OF OVERSHOOT IN TERMS OF BOTH CO2 EMISSIONS AND TEMPERATURE; AS WELL AS THE PATH FORWARD TO ACHIEVE THE NEEDED 50% REDUCTIONS BY GOVERNMENTS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS. IT AIMED TO GENERATE BOTH GREATER POLITICAL LEVEL AND PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR CLIMATE ACTION PLANS CONSISTENT WITH A 1.5C GOAL INCORPORATED INTO 2030 NDCS, SPECIFICALLY TO PREVENT CRYOSPHERE COLLAPSE AND IRREVERSIBLE FEEDBACKS, WITH 64 SEMINARS (SIDE EVENTS), CULTURAL EVENTS AND A PERMANENT EXHIBITS. IT ALSO SUPPORTED EARLY CAREER SCIENTISTS TO VOLUNTEER AND INTERACT WITH POLICYMAKERS AS THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTIFIC LEADERS. THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT OUTCOME OF ICCI AND CRYOSPHERE PAVILION EFFORTS WAS THE INTRODUCTION, INTO THE DEBATE AROUND THE COP-26 DECISION OR GLASGOW PACT, OF THE NEED FOR BETTER INCLUSION OF CRYOSPHERE CONCERNS: A FIRST IN THE UNFCCC. AN ESTIMATED 15,000 VISITORS PASSED THROUGH THE PAVILION OVER THE 12 DAYS OF THE COP, INCLUDING HEADS OF GOVERNMENT AND A NUMBER OF CLIMATE/ENVIRONMENT MINISTERS REPRESENTING CRYOSPHERE REGIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD; ALL EVENTS AT THE PAVILION WERE ALSO LIVE-STREAMED, WITH RECORDING CACHED ON ICCIS YOUTUBE CHANNEL.

CRYOSPHERE 2020/HIGH URGENCY: AS PART OF THIS ONGOING PROCESS AIMED AT THE NEXT ROUND OF PLEDGES UNDER THE PARIS AGREEMENT, ICCI CONDUCTS CHATHAM HOUSE RULES MEETINGS OF NEGOTIATORS AND TOP CRYOSPHERE SCIENTISTS, MANY OF THEM IPCC AUTHORS ON THE 1.5 DEGREE REPORT AND SPECIAL REPORT ON OCEANS AND CRYOSPHERE. DISCUSSIONS FOCUS ON HOW THE LATEST SCIENCE MIGHT BE MORE EFFECTIVELY APPRECIATED, AND ACTED UPON. DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, MEETINGS IN 2021 WERE HELD VIRTUALLY; BUT BORE FRUIT WHEN THE DELAYED COP-26 TOOK PLACE IN GLASGOW. ICCI ALSO CONTINUED TO HOST CRYOSPHERE1.5 BRIEFINGS VIA ZOOM AND OTHER ONLINE PLATFORMS WITH POLICY MAKERS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS; AND CONDUCTED COMMUNICATIONS TRAININGS, DESIGNED AND CONDUCTED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF WEST ANGLIA FOR THE EARLY CAREER SCIENTISTS.

REDUCING HEATING STOVE EMISSIONSICCI CONTINUES ITS WORK ON REDUCING SHORT-LIVED CLIMATE FORCER AIR POLLUTION FROM WOOD AND COAL HEATING STOVES, BOTH UNDER THE LRTAP CONVENTION, AND ON THE LOCAL LEVEL IN VERMONT. THE VERMONT PROJECT ENGAGES HOUSEHOLDS DIRECTLY ON USING THEIR EXISTING WOODSTOVES MORE EFFECTIVELY TO REDUCE HARMFUL EMISSIONS AND WOOD USE (ALSO AS SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT), AS WELL AS ENCOURAGES TRANSITION TO EITHER LOW-EMISSIONS STOVES, OR CLEANER AND RENEWABLE SOURCES OF ENERGY FOR HOUSEHOLD HEATING.