Once again, Arctic stakeholders and high-profile policymakers will gather in Brussels on the 14th and 15th of October for the 5th edition of the Arctic Futures Symposium. Held at the Residence Palace in the European Quarter of Brussels, the 2014 symposium will focus on "The Arctic, its peoples, and its economies".
The Arctic and its inhabitants are facing several important changes and challenges, and the Arctic Futures Symposium aims to seek solutions to the challenges through dialogue. Over the course of seven roundtable sessions and a series of keynote presentations, nearly 50 speakers will contribute their knowledge and understanding to discuss issues related to the Arctic’s diverse inhabitants and the economies of this increasingly important region of the planet.
In addition to discussing issues of great importance for the Circumpolar North, a photo exhibition sponsored by Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada and the Royal Canadian Geographical Society will be held in the Atrium of the Residence Palace throughout the duration of the event.
Arctic Futures is a free event, but we have limited seating capacity for the event. The only way to guarantee a spot at the symposium is register via the Arctic Futures website. A few dozen seats remain available at writing of this news; however this is not likely to be the case for long.
Dr Jan Lenaerts, a Belgian researcher working at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, has been awarded the prestigious €150,000 InBev-Baillet Latour Antarctica Fellowship for his BENEMELT project.
A joint initiative between the International Polar Foundation and the InBev-Baillet Latour Fund, the InBev-Baillet Latour Antarctica Fellowship Award promotes science and scientific excellence in Antarctica by young scientists. The fellowship, the largest of its kind, recognizes the importance of science carried out in Antarctica for improving the understanding of the Earth system, and encourages scientific research at, or close to the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica polar research station.
The BENEMELT project was the unanimous choice of the InBev-Baillet Latour Antarctica Fellowship Committee, based on the recommendations of an international scientific jury. The project aims to improve understanding of snow melt on ice shelves, floating extensions of the massive inland ice sheet which stabilize ice loss, and how melt will impact on ice shelf stability and sea level. It will also provide data for improving climate models to provide an estimate of present-day and future surface melt on East Antarctic ice shelves.
“My fieldwork with the support of the InBev-Baillet Latour Fellowship will shed light on which processes are responsible for this ice shelf breakup, thereby improving the estimates how, when and where East Antarctica is most vulnerable to global warming" said Lenaerts.
The prize was presented on 17th September at the Antarctica – The Next Generation Conference and Award Ceremony at the Palais des Académies / Paleis der Academiën, in Brussels, Belgium, by Jean-Jacques Derwael, a geodetic surveyor who conducted pioneering research in Antarctica in the 1960s.
The conference celebrated the work of previous InBev-Baillet Latour Fellowship laureates Dr Elie Verleyen, Dr Steven Goderis and Dr Reinhard Drews with all three scientists giving presentations of their research activities in Antarctica and most recent results. Meteorologist Dr Alexander Mangold also described his meteorological and climate studies at the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica Station and during his acceptance speech, Dr Jan Lenaerts gave a short presentation about his planned research. Participants at the conference commented on the clear and understandable talks and the enthusiasm of all of the scientists.
Jan Lenaerts will be travelling to the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica station in November 2014 and you can follow the progress of the BENEMELT project on the station website.
On Thursday 11 September, nineteen top Arctic institutes throughout Europe (including the International Polar Foundation) formally presented the results of the work done to investigate the feasibility of establishing a permanent EU Arctic Information Centre (EUAIC), a "network of networks" designed to provide quick and easy information about the Arctic to policy-makers.
The highly-anticipated all-day seminar entitled "The EU in the Arctic, the Arctic in the EU" welcomed more than 170 participants at the Residence Palace in the European District in Brussels.
Funded by the European Union, a pilot phase to test the capabilities of the EUAIC consortium was launched in February 2013. During one year and a half, the network of expert Arctic institutions undertook several projects aimed at providing key information about the Arctic to policymakers.
The consortium's deliverables include:
Before the network presented their results in the afternoon, two morning sessions were held with high-level speakers form the EU Commission, Members of the European Parliament, and the Finnish Foreign Ministry (including Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja and Finland's Ambassador to the Arctic Council Hannu Halinen).
The mandate of the consortium, which is headquartered at the Arctic Centre at the University of Lapland in Rovaniemi, Finland, is to provide support to the the EU as it continues to develop its Arctic policy. Both the Council of the European Union and the EU Parliament have supported the establishment of an EU Arctic Information Centre.
For more information on the EU Arctic Information Centre consortium and its activities, please consult the consortium's official website.
On September 17, the "Antarctica – The Next Generation" conference will take place in Brussels, Belgium. It will present scientific research projects carried out at Princess Elisabeth Antarctica. The winner of the €150.000 InBev-Baillet Latour Antarctica Fellowship, awarded to young polar scientists, will also be announced.
In 2008, the InBev-Baillet Latour Fund and the International Polar Foundation created a new award for young scientists to facilitate the establishment of a long-term cutting-edge research programme at the Princess Elisabeth Station in Antarctica: the InBev-Baillet Latour Antarctica Fellowship.
The Fellowship aims to promote scientific excellence in Antarctica and underscores the crucial role polar science plays in furthering our understanding of the Earth and how it functions.
Over the past 6 years, it has allowed several scientists to carry out exciting and globally significant research in East Antarctica. This research has contributed new and important information to our knowledge of the planetary systems, the biosphere, the evolving climate and the ice shelves, as well as benefitting the study of meteorites.
The 2014 laureate will be announced live at the conference.
Speakers at the conference include past Fellowship laureates who will present their research:
Dr. Alexander Mangold from the Belgian Royal Meteorological Institute will also present his research in atmospheric science at the Princess Elisabeth research station.
The conference will provide the opportunity to:
The conference is open to everyone interested and the entrance is free.
For more information, including the programme and details for registration, please visit the Fellowship webpage.
To mark UN World Environment Day on June 5th, International Polar Foundation Executive Director Andreas Wagner presented the Gemeentelijk Technisch Instituut, in Londerzeel, Belgium with our annual award for initiatives that make a significant impact against climate change. The school won the award for its project 'The Climate Crisis: Do Something About It! ' at the 9th Belgian Energy and Environment Awards, held in the Brussels landmark venue Tour & Taxis.
The International Polar Foundation has been a partner of the Belgian Energy and Environment Awards since its very first edition in 2006; since then the initiative has honoured about 1700 projects developed by citizens, corporations, institutions, associations, schools and administrations that have provided exceptional contributions to the construction of a sustainable future, at a local, regional and national level. At this year’s ceremony, the jury awarded a total of eight prizes and two special mentions.
Gemeentelijk Technisch Instituut Londerzeel, recipient of the International Polar Foundation award, is a secondary school specialising in technical education. Its project resulted in the collaboration between students and teachers under the coordination of teacher Wim Van Buggenhout, and consists in several climate actions: a polar day was organised at the school during which visiting polar scientists and climate experts talked to the students, an awareness campaign on climate change was launched, students learned to calculate of the amount of CO2 captured by a tree. They also brought together a series of educational lessons in a website and developed a solar tracker as a basis for an international project. The school is currently involved in a European project titled 'Melting away for the climate' . The prize rewards the school's continuous work over the past years to demonstrate concrete activities to deal with climate change.
Many very interesting projects were presented at this year’s awards. Read about the other laureates on the dedicated Website (in Dutch - and in French).
Next year, the Energy and Environment Awards will celebrate its 10th anniversary. The organisers and partners encourage everyone to participate by submitting a project. They are already looking forward to reading about your innovative and creative projects towards sustainable development.
Congratulations from the International Polar Foundation to all the 2014 laureates!
The official proceedings of the International Polar Foundation's 2013 Arctic Futures Symposium are available for download from the Arctic Futures website.
Held every autumn in Brussels, the International Polar Foundation’s annual Arctic Futures Symposium draws a multinational and multidisciplinary group of speakers and participants to Brussels every year to discuss issues the Arctic will be facing in the coming years.
The 2013 symposium featured local, national and EU policymakers, Arctic indigenous peoples, natural and social scientists, academics, and representatives of industries operating in the Arctic to discuss the impacts of resource development and shipping in the Arctic, how the region is being altered by climate change, and issues affecting Northern residents.
The proceedings provide a highly useful reference resource for all those interested in Arctic issues, from seasoned policymakers to journalists and students.
Every year since it first began in 2010, participation in the Arctic Futures Symposium has grown, reflecting the ever-increasing interest in the Arctic. October 2013 saw the fourth edition of the symposium, which was organized with the help of sponsors including the Belgian Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Statoil, as well as the support of contributors such as the North Norway European Office, the EU Arctic Information Centre consortium and the European External Action Service (EEAS). A shipping workshop on the second day of the symposium was organized in conjunction with the Arctic NGO Forum, an initiative funded by the EU Commission Directorate General for the Environment and coordinated by GRID-Arendal and Ecorys.
Download the final Arctic Futures 2013 report
For press inquiries regarding the Arctic Futures Symposium, please contact press@polarfoundation.org
For all other inquiries related to the symposium, please contact events@polarfoundation.org
This week, the International Polar Foundation celebreates five years of endevour and success since Princess Elisabeth Antarctica was inaugurated on February 15, 2009. However, the journey from the station's concept to its physical reality was a long and challenging adventure - one that we would like to share with you.
Alain Hubert, an experienced polar explorer and engineer, and the International Polar Foundation, the non-profit organisation he established in 2002 along with glaciologist Hugo Declier (Vrij Universiteit Brussel) and climatologist André Berger (KU Leuven), set out to build the world’s first “zero emission” research station, designed to run entirely on renewable wind and solar energy.
Their first challenge was to convince sponsors to come on board. The International Polar Foundation succeeded in establishing a public/private partnership, and persuading businesses, the public sector, and civil society to take part in the project. In February 2004, the Belgian Federal Government commissioned the International Polar Foundation to take care of developing the station from design to completion. The station was to be named after Belgium’s young Princess Elisabeth, daughter of His Royal Highness King Philippe of Belgium.
With a clear vision of the mission ahead, a team led by the International Polar Foundation headed to Antarctica in November 2004 on the first Belgian Antarctic Research Expedition (BELARE) to search for a suitable place to build the new station.
The station had to be built on solid rock, as the ice sheet covering most of Antarctica flows constantly towards the coasts. The ideal location had to be close to an ample supply of snow for drinking water, yet not be vulnerable to burial from too much snow accumulation - an unfortunate fate of previous Belgian stations. It also needed to be located at a place that facilitated logistical operations.
A ridge at Utsteinen in the western part of the Sør Rondane Mountains met all these requirements. The location allows safe access to the coast and is situated on the leeward side of the mountains, giving the ridge protection from storms. Steady katabatic winds from the interior of the continent not only make it an ideal place to use wind power, but they also prevent too much snow accumulation on the roof of the station.
Designing a “zero emission” research station in Antarctica was no easy task, given there were no models to follow. Trial and error is not an option in a part of the world where it is only possible to do serious construction during the short summer between November and March, when 24-hour daylight prevails in the austral summer. Failing to meet a season’s construction targets not only means losing a full year, but also the confidence of sponsors.
Three expeditions to Antarctica were carried out from November 2004 to February 2007 to prepare Utsteinen Ridge for the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica’s construction. The end of the final preparatory season saw a critical moment for the project, in which the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica project was either going to sink or swim - literally.
At the end of the season, snow tractors and equipment were scheduled to be unloaded from a supply ship at the coast and transported to the construction site 220 km inland. As the first container was unloaded form the ship onto the ice shelf, cracks formed around the container and a piece of the ice shelf broke free, still holding the container. But thanks to quick thinking, the captain of the ship pushed the piece of the ice shelf back towards the coast, and Alain and the team managed to pull the container containing €1.5 million worth of equipment off of the collapsing ice shelf just in time.
“If the container and the tractor sunk into the ocean, the project would have been over. The entire project would have been lost in the water, literally.”
- Alain Hubert, President, International Polar Foundation
Before being shipped to Antarctica, the main structure of the station was pre-constructed in Belgium. During the summer of 2007, construction teams completed this task at the Tour & Taxis exposition centre in Brussels. The pre-construction was a much-needed trial run for the builders who would reassemble the station under much more difficult conditions in Antarctica.
International Polar Foundation President Alain Hubert and His Royal Highness Prince Philippe – now King – of Belgium, opened the pre-constructed station to the general public. More than 35,000 visitors came to see the station over four days, September 6 - 9, 2007.
“When we saw the number of people coming to see the station in Tour & Taxis, we realised how popular that project had become, not only for us but also for Belgium and its citizens.”
- Johan Berte, Head Engineer, Princess Elisabeth Antarctica project
Princess Elisabeth Antarctica was shipped to Antarctica during the autumn of 2007, and construction at Utsteinen began during the 2007-08 expedition. A large team braved tough Antarctic conditions to set up the main structure of the station. For several months, the team worked day and night, battling the bitter cold at times, to complete the task on time. On February 14 2008, the team secured the final module of the station’s main structure.
After the station successfully withstood its first eight months of the punishing Antarctic winter, the construction team returned in November 2008 to install the station’s water treatment system, electronics, more wind turbines, and the first field of solar panels. While construction was still taking place, the base already hosted its first scientific research teams starting in November 2008.
On February 15, 2009, Belgian Government ministers and officials, project sponsors and politicians made their way to the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica to celebrate the station’s official inauguration. Days before the first guests arrived for the celebration, the whole team redoubled their efforts to make sure all the finishing touches were in place.
Despite facing a number of challenges each season, each time the BELARE team has returned to Antarctica, the station has seen improvements. A satellite dish, which allows the station and its systems to be controlled remotely, was installed in 2010.
More importantly for the station’s concept, engineers set up a smart electrical grid, which manages the use of energy generated by wind turbines and solar panels. A priority-based central computer system determines how energy is allocated in the station. Intelligent energy management in the most extreme environment on the planet is the hallmark of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica.
As the appointed Belgian Antarctic Operator, the International Polar Foundation ensures safe conditions for field research by providing experienced polar guides, handling cargo and personnel logistics, and providing accommodation and mobile laboratory facilities for scientists working in the field.
In in addition to a large number of Belgian scientists who have been to the staiton to conduct research since the station first welcomed scientists in 2008, the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica has also welcomed scientists from Japan, Germany, the US, the UK, Luxembourg and the Czech Republic. Scientists conduct reesarch in a wide variety of fields, including glaciology, microbiology, geology, geomagnetism, and atmospheric sciences. The Antarctic Plateau, subglacial lakes, dry valleys and ice shelves in the vicinity of the station provide a variety of research possibilities for scientists.
Members of the International Polar Foundation have witnessed some of the most fascinating research:
“While on a field expedition with a group of German geologists, we assisted them as they took rock samples from a site where the African and Antarctic continental plates collided some 500 million years ago, when the Gondwana supercontinent was forming. Seeing the deformed and folded rock where two ancient landmasses collided with my own eyes was a remarkable moment to me.”
- Nighat Amin, Vice-President, International Polar Foundation
In addition to providing logistical support to scientists, every two years since 2008, the InBev-Baillet Latour Fund and the International Polar Foundation award a €150,000 research grant, the InBev-Baillet Latour Antarctica Fellowship, to an early career polar scientist to fund a research project to be carried out at or near the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica. The goal is to help young polar scientists in their career while promoting excellence in polar research.
As a scientific research station, the goal of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica is to make sure that as many scientists as possible can take advantage of its facilities and the professional support the station team offers. In order to ensure the long-term success of the station, the next goal is to find ways to cooperate with other countries in order to share the costs of operating the world’s first “zero emission” research station, while continuing to develop this exemplary prototype of sustainable living. The International Polar Foundation believes that Belgium can lead the way towards a low carbon future.
In developing the “zero emission” side of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica project, we have proven that if we can live more sustainably in Antarctica, we can live more sustainably anywhere on the planet.
“The necessary know-how and technologies actually exist; all we need is more confidence that we can confront the future using the tools and experience at hand.”
- Alain Hubert, President, International Polar Foundation
To mark five years of hard work, scientific endeavour and adventure at Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, we asked Base Leader, International Polar Foundation president and polar explorer Alain Hubert to share his five strongest memories from since the idea for the station was conceived, and his five plans for the future.
Our arrival at Utsteinen, the site of the new station, at the end of January 2007. We had just unloaded the ship, an operation which nearly ended with a tractor and container in the sea. After a two-day traverse through a nearly unknown territory, I was relieved when we finally arrived back, to the relief of the team waiting for us at Utsteinen. After this, I was convinced that we could live up to the challenges that lay ahead.
The inauguration of Princess Elisabeth Antarctica at Tour & Taxis, in Brussels. The morning after finishing constructing the station, thousands of people began queuing up to see the station. This made us all realise that this projects wasn’t only ours, it had become the project of the Belgian nation and of its citizens. It was now a collective project and we had underestimated its full potential. I will always remember those words from a grandmother to a young kid: “You can touch those beams, they are the ones going to Antarctica, it’s the real station”
In the middle of February 2008, we were finishing the roof of the station when, suddenly, we saw five tiny silhouettes advancing across the Antarctic ice from the East. Our first visitors were heading towards the station. We all stood still, none of us was saying a word. At one point, we recognised two flags attached to the skidoos, the Belgian flag and the Japanese flag. A group of Japanaese Geologists, knowing that we were building the station, arrived on their skidoos like modern Samurai. They were finishing their work in Antarctica, and decided to pay us a visit before catching a plane to go home on our newly built runway. At that time, Belgium had no government and we had very little news from home. Quite an emotional moment.
The first season, that Princess Elisabeth Antarctica ran as a Zero Emission prototype. Being able to build a station capable of running on the only available energies, the wind and the sun, in the middle of Antarctica, and to store that in batteries for later consumption. The collaboration with our industrial partners allowed us to build that prototype and to show that Belgium could be at the forefront in one of the central questions to be addressed in the face of climate change: alternative energy management in our modern societies.
The efficiency and flexibility of our operational teams, and of the International Polar Foundation. I remain convinced that the unique public / private partnership formed for the creation of the station allowed us to reach that level of excellence. It is only together that we can build the world that future generations deserve.
Internationalise the station to mutualise costs and enable its development. The fact that Princess Elisabeth Antarctica is commended as a clear example of how to work within the framework of the Antarctic Treaty should encourage us to go towards increased cooperation.
Develop the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica’s activities to go even further in terms of energy management and show that Belgium in the 21st century is capable of leading the way forward. It is essential to give younger generations the confidence they will need to tackle the challenges that face the planet.
Increase the number of scientists that can come at the station to carry out research.
Develop further the station’s capabilities as an educational tool to promote the importance of polar science.
To inspire as many people as possible.
SciencePoles, an International Polar Foundation outreach initiative dedicated to bringing Arctic and Antarctic science to a wider audience, has been relaunched with a new focus, look and feel.
The popular SciencePoles website will continue to concentrate on delivering original interviews and articles on cutting edge polar science, with news on research findings and event updates. The new responsive website is designed for smartphones and tablets, making it even easier to catch up on polar news while on the move.
SciencePoles features interviews with leading polar scientists, along with articles on the important natural and social science research taking place in both the Arctic and Antarctica. Scientific research in the Earth's polar regions is essential to developing understanding of our planet, its history, regional ecosystems, and the workings of the global climate system.
The awards ceremony for the most sustainable Belgian municipality in 2013 took place Tuesday afternoon at the City Hall in Brussels. The jury, headed by International Polar Foundation president Alain Hubert, voted Leuven the most sustainable municipality for its project 'Leuven Climate Neutral 2030'.
Chaudfontaine received a special mention of the Jury for the development of its municipal soft mobility network. The vote for the most sustainable Belgian municipality, an initiative of Cofely Services, aims to encourage municipalities to share their experience in terms of sustainable development and highlight projects of particular interest.
A total of 48 dossiers were submitted this year. The Jury, lead by Alain Hubert, was composed of experts in sustainable development selected last October one laureate project by province. All the nominees for the price were eager to hear which municipality would be awarded the title of most sustainable municipality this year.
Following presentations on sustainable development by Nadine Gouzée (Task Force on Sustainable Development, Federal Planning Bureau), and Dirk Holemans (Oikos) and a presentation of the nominees, the decision of the Jury was announced.
The Jury attributed the price to Leuven for its innovative and ambitious 'Leuven Climate Neutral 2030' project. The project is based on a large collaboration between the municipality, the population and different partners of the city to develop an action plan to become carbon neutral by 2030.
The Jury also awarded a special mention to Chaudfontaine for its project to develop a municipal soft mobility network, a network of pathways allowing and encouraging inhabitants to move around the municipality by foot and bicycle, thereby reducing road traffic.
Have a look at the video presentations of the two projects!
Currently in at Princess Elisabeth Antarctica polar research station, Alain Hubert addressed the awards ceremony via a recorded video message, stating that "once again, the International Polar Foundation is impressed by the quality of the projects that have been submitted".
Congratulations from the International Polar Foundation to both of the winning municipalities!
The latest edition of the annual Arctic Futures Symposium organised by the International Polar Foundation and its many Arctic stakeholder partners will take place in early December. Register to secure your spot!
IPF is sad to learn of the passing of glaciologist Professor Roland Souchez, who made important contributions to the fields of glaciology and climate science during his decades-long career.
To celebrate the opening of the exhibit “To the Antarctic: Belgica’s Polar Pioneers”, Antwerp resident and LEGO enthusiast Daniel Vermeir built an amazing scale model of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, the world’s first and to date only zero-emission polar research station.
To celebrate the opening of the exhibit “To the Antarctic: Belgica’s Polar Pioneers”, Antwerp resident and LEGO enthusiast Daniel Vermeir built an amazing scale model of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, the world’s first and to date only zero-emission polar research station.
The International Polar Foundation has been part of creating a fascinating new exhibition on Belgium's contributions to Antarctic exploration and research, opening at the MAS Museum in Antwerp starting from Friday, June 21st.
After much anticipation, on Thursday, June 20th, the exhibition “To the Antarctic: Belgica’s Polar Pioneers” at Antwerp’s MAS Museum officially opened its doors.
On Tuesday, June 11th, IPF Founder and President Alain Hubert was invited to participate in the “Debate with Ambassadors” panel at European Sustainable Energy Week 2024 (EUSEW24).
At a ceremony held the afternoon of Monday, June 10th at The Royal Academy of Sciences of Belgium, Alain Hubert, Founder and President of the International Polar Foundation, received the prestigious Belgica Prize alongside French glaciologist Professor Jérôme Chappellaz.
At a ceremony held the afternoon of Monday, June 10th at The Royal Academy of Sciences of Belgium, Alain Hubert, Founder and President of the International Polar Foundation, received the prestigious Belgica Prize alongside French glaciologist Professor Jérôme Chappellaz.
Alain Hubert, Founder and President of the International Polar Foundation, is set to receive the Belgica Prize at a ceremony to be held at the Royal Academy for Sciences and the Arts of Belgium the afternoon of Monday, June 10th, alongside French glaciologist Dr Jérôme Chappellaz.
Alain Hubert, Founder and President of the International Polar Foundation, is set to receive the Belgica Prize at a ceremony to be held at the Royal Academy for Sciences and the Arts of Belgium the afternoon of Monday, June 10th, alongside French glaciologist Dr Jérôme Chappellaz.
For the 3rd year in a row, entrepreneurs 35 or under based in the Arctic are invited to submit an application for the annual Laurence Trân Arctic Futures Award.
The International Polar Foundation and its many Arctic stakeholder partners are happy to announce that the 15th annual Arctic Futures Symposium will take place on December 2nd-3rd at the Residence Palace in Brussels.
