International Cryosphere Climate Initiative

ICCI SERVES AS A NETWORK BETWEEN SCIENTISTS POLICYMAKERS AND PEOPLE AFFECTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE CRYOSPHERE SUCH AS THE ARCTIC ANTARCTIC HIMALAYAS; AND DOWNSTREAM AND LOW-LYING NATIONS.

AMI COP28 AND UNFCCC: AFTER THE FOUNDING OF THE AMBITION ON MELTING ICE AMI HIGH-LEVEL GROUP IN 2022 ICCI SERVES AS THE AMI SECRETARIAT. IN THAT CAPACITY ICCI COORDINATED AN AMI CRYOSPHERE PRE-SESSIONAL MEETING OF EXPERTS AND 34 GOVERNMENTS IN ADVANCE OF THE JUNE UNFCCC NEGOTIATIONS IN BONN; A HIGH-LEVEL UNGA CLIMATE WEEK EVENT IN NEW YORK; AND THE TWO-WEEK COP28 CRYOSPHERE PAVILION IN BAKU. ALL AIMED AT HOLDING THE GOAL OF 1.5 DEGREES DUE TO THE NEED TO PREVENT CRYOSPHERE COLLAPSE AT HIGHER TEMPERATURES AND CO2 LEVELS; AND AVERT OR AT LEAST SLOW RESULTING IRREVERSIBLE GLOBAL DAMAGE. THREE ADDITIONAL COUNTRIES - FRANCE THE NETHERLANDS AND ITALY -- JOINED AMI AT MACRON'S ONE PLANET POLAR SUMMIT IN NOVEMBER. THE COP28 CRYOSPHERE PAVILION INCLUDED A ROBUST SERIES OF SIDE EVENTS HOSTED EIGHT EARLY CAREER SCIENTIST VOLUNTEERS AND A CADRE OF SENIOR CRYOSPHERE SCIENTISTS MANY IPCC WHO ENGAGED WITH GOVERNMENTS MEDIA AND CIVIL SOCIETY THROUGHOUT THE COP.

GLOBAL MOUNTAINS EFFORTS: IN ADDITION TO AMI ACTIVITIES RELATED TO GLACIERS SNOW AND MOUNTAIN WATER RESOURCES ICCI CONDUCTED A CONCERTED MOUNTAINS EFFORT AMONG UN MISSIONS IN NEW YORK IN THE UNFCCC AND AS PART OF THE MOUNTAIN PARTNERSHIP. ONE KEY RESULT WAS A COP28 DECISION TO HOLD THE FIRST-EVER "MOUNTAINS DIALOGUE" AS AN OFFICIALLY MANDATED DAY-LONG EVENT FOR NEGOTIATORS AT THE JUNE 2025 UNFCCC NEGOTIATIONS IN BONN. ICCI ALSO CO-FACILITATED A SPECIAL SESSION ON MOUNTAINS AND HIGH LATITUDE POLAR REGIONS AS PART OF ADAPTATION WORK AT COP28 UNDER THE NAIROBI WORK PROGRAMME.

POLAR PROGRAMS ARCTIC AND ANTARCTICA: ICCI CONTINUED ITS ENGAGEMENT IN THE ARCTIC COUNCIL ANTARCTIC TREATY AND RELATED POLAR FORUMS. THIS INCLUDED ORGANIZING A ONE-DAY MEETING HOSTED BY U.S.EPA IN WASHINGTON DC TOGETHER WITH THE ARCTIC COUNCIL SCIENCE ARM AMAP ON ADDRESSING BLACK CARBON EMISSIONS AFFECTING THE ARCTIC THAT GAINED STRONG REPRESENTATION FROM THE US AND CANADIAN GOVERNMENTS AND THE EU. ICCI ALSO ORGANIZED A WELL-ATTENDED CLIMATE-FOCUSED SIDE EVENT AT THE MAY ANTARCTIC TREATY SESSION IN HELSINKI ON THE EVE OF THE FIRST-EVER CLIMATE DAY AT THESE ANNUAL MEETINGS. IT ALSO IS SUPPORTING AN PUBLIC EDUCATION EFFORT ON CLIMATE IMPACTS AT ABISKO FIELD STATION IN SWEDEN.