The International Polar Foundation celebrates ten years of achievement, in the presence of their Royal Highnesses Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium, and His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco, at a gala dinner for 300 guests tonight central Brussels.

The event, taking place at Brussels venue Tour & Taxis on the evening of October 3rd, welcomes honorary members of the foundation, including renowned polar scientists, along with international dignitaries and corporate executives.

The International Polar Foundation was created in 2002 by Belgian polar explorer Alain Hubert and scientists André Berger and Hugo Decleir, as a foundation for the public good tasked with connecting science and society.  The Foundation works to raise the profile of polar scientific research, in order to advance human knowledge, and to promote informed action on climate change and the development of a sustainable society.

“It is with great pleasure that the Foundation welcomes our honorary president His Royal Highness Prince Philippe of Belgium to celebrate our first decade”, said International Polar Foundation President Alain Hubert. “Thanks to His support, and the support of our partners and friends, the International Polar Foundation has accomplished goals far beyond our own expectations, and we look forward to another ten years of working for a more sustainable future”.

During its first ten years, the Foundation has developed audacious landmark projects, including the revolutionary zero emission polar research station Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, the annual Arctic Futures Symposium –taking place this week in Brussels, the Class Zero Emission education programme, and the planned network of Polaris Climate Change Observatories.

During the gala evening, the 2012 InBev Baillet-Latour Antarctica Fellowship will be awarded. This annual grant of €150,000 for scientific research, to be conducted at Princess Elisabeth Antarctica research station, is open to young international scientists and promotes scientific excellence. The fellowship is a joint initiative by The InBev Baillet Latour Fund and the International Polar Foundation.

In just one month’s time, the challenges facing the Arctic - during a time of great change and global warming uncertainty - will be the subject of frank and lively debate in Brussels. On October 4th and 5th. Registration is free, and is now open!

The International Polar Foundation will welcome policymakers, ambassadors from EU and Arctic nations, polar scientists, representatives of industry and Arctic indigenous peoples groups, all of whom will converge at the 2012 Arctic Futures Symposium.

Speakers

High-level speakers include HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, Maria Damanaki, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Belgian Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and European Affairs Didier Reynders, and Charles Emmerson, Chatham House Senior Research Fellow on Energy, Environment and Resources, and author of The Future History of the Arctic.

Guest speakers will also include Sweden’s Arctic Ambassador Gustav Lind, Greenland’s Deputy Foreign Minister Inuuteq Holm Olsen, Robert Blaauw, Senior Advisor to Shell’s Arctic programme, Bernard Funston, Chair of the Canadian Polar Commission, British Antarctic Survey glaciologist Prof. David Vaughan and Lars-Anders Baer, chair of the Working Group of Indigenous Peoples in the Barents Euro-Arctic Region.

The multidisciplinary forum, now in its third year, brings together a wide range of Arctic stakeholders for animated debates on challenges facing those living and working in the Arctic. Multiple perspectives will be shared on issues such as transport and infrastructure, search and rescue, scientific research and monitoring, ecosystem stewardship and management of natural resource development.

Roundtable Discussion

This year's symposium also features a roundtable discussion with senior policymakers and representatives from Arctic Council nations, led by Charles Emmerson. It will also feature presentations and discussions on:

• The future of Arctic energy resources - including renewable energy solutions
• Sustainable managing living natural resources and marine protected areas
• Developing maritime and coastal infrastructure to meet the growing needs of shipping and search and rescue efforts in an ice free Arctic
• The vital importance of long-term scientific monitoring programmes in the Arctic
• The Arctic Futures Symposium 2012 is an initiative of the International Polar Foundation and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, with the support of the EU Committee of the Regions, the European Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS).

The Arctic Futures Symposium is scheduled for the 4th and 5th of October, in Brussels, at the Committee of the Regions, Jacques Delors Building.  Prior registration - which is free - is mandatory, and registrations must be received no later than Monday, October 1st.

The International Polar Foundation is pleased to announce its membership of the Antarctic Ocean Alliance, a coalition that has identified 19 key areas that warrant protection as a network of designated, no-take marine reserves that would cover 40% of Antarctica’s Southern Ocean.

These reserves would be world’s most comprehensive protection regime, and would protect Antarctic habitats and wildlife from industrial development.

Nearly 60,000 people worldwide have also “joined the watch”, along businessman Richard Branson, actors Ed Norton and Ted Danson and oceanographer Sylvia Earle. They’re all keeping an eye on the future of Antarctica's ocean, soon to be decided by representatives of the members of the Commission on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR – 24 countries, plus the European Union).

CCAMLR’s timeframe for putting in place a representative system of marine protected areas in the oceans around Antarctica by this year. The Antarctic Ocean Alliance is working to ensure CCAMLR successfully meets its commitments, and creates a legacy for future generations.

Joining the Alliance is a natural step for the Foundation, which operates the world’s first Zero Emission polar research base, Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, 200km inland from the Antarctic coast. Scientific research in the Polar Regions is essential to increasing our understanding the Earth, its history, regional ecosystems, and the workings of the global climate system. Princess Elisabeth Antarctica welcomes scientists from all over the world,who come to carry out research work in Antarctica, including studies of the Earth’s climate mechanisms and ice caps, and how they relate to interconnected systems, such as the oceans.

The Foundation believes that Antarctica, and the waters surrounding it, should be continue devoted to peace and science, and we support polar scientific research for the advancement of knowledge, the promotion of informed action on climate change, and the development of a sustainable society.

Oceans cover 70% of the planet – but only 1% is protected from development. The Southern Ocean makes up 10% of the world's seas, is still relatively untouched by human activity and is home to unique and diverse species, such as Adelié and emperor penguins, Antarctic petrels and minke whales, Ross Sea killer whales, colossal squid and Weddell seals, which all thrive in the rich food web, of which krill is a major component.

While the ice-covered Antarctic continent is under protection - in 1991, the international community made a courageous decision, under the Madrid Protocol, also known as the Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, to protect the Antarctic as a natural reserve for peace and science – this doesn’t extend to the marine environment. 

The 1982 Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources was negotiated with a mandate to conserve and manage Antarctic living resources, but the tools available under it have yet to be effectively applied to protect the region’s oceans. Because of this, areas like the Ross Sea – the most intact marine ecosystem on the planet – are still vulnerable to exploitation. Important research work continues to be carried out in the Ross Sea, such as the recent ANDRILL project, which drills deep into Antarctic sediment to reveal past glacial history and to predict the Earth's future.

The Antarctic Ocean Alliance is calling on CCAMLR to establish a fully protected marine reserve of approximately 3.6 million square kilometers in the Ross Sea region as a first step towards establishing a comprehensive network of marine reserves and marine protected areas around Antarctica.

To find out more, and how to get involved, visit www.antarcticocean.org or check out their video explaining the work they do.

To mark UN World Environment Day on June 5th, International Polar Foundation president Alain Hubert presented the City of Gent with our annual award for initiatives making a significant impact against climate change, for its project 'From aerial thermography to roof insulation', as part of the 7th Belgian Energy and Environment Awards, held in Brussels landmark venue Tour & Taxis.

Since 2006 the Belgian Energy and Environment Awards has honored more than 1000 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. A total of 12 prizes were awarded at this year's ceremony.

 The City of Gent, recipient of our award, aims to become climate neutral by 2050, and is paving the way by addressing the energy challenge and reducing energy consumption in housing. The project involved the production of aerial thermography pictures based on plane flights over the city, which showed in a simple visual and attractive way the extent of insulation in each home. Gent residents then received guidance - based on interpretation of the aerial thermography picture of their roof  – to assist them in taking practical steps for installing effective roof insulation.

Foundation Executive Director Thierry Touchais was also invited by the awards organisers to present the Eco-Booster Awards, which promotes a promising project that is not yet implemented but is proven to be feasible. This year, the EEawards Jury awarded the prize to Elia, Belgium’s high-voltage electricity transmission system operator, for its plan to build a new office building for its personnel that will meet both the criteria for a passive building and the (Breeam) criteria which take into account all aspects of eco-construction including energy, water, waste management, biodiversity, the well-being of the people working in the building and transports.

Congratulations from the International Polar Foundation to all the 2012 laureates!

More about the Belgian Energy and Environment Awards

Three years after the official end of the Fourth International Polar Year (IPY) in 2009, this week will see over two thousand polar researchers, policy-makers, and other interested parties from industry, education, non-government organizations, and circumpolar communities descend on Montreal for the third and final IPY conference. The International Polar Foundation (IPF) will be actively taking part in this gathering through our active participation in two of the highlights of the conference: the PolarEDUCATORS Workshop, and the Public Engagement strand, during which Sandra Vanhove and Isabelle Dufour from the our education team will make a number of presentations, as well as facilitating panels and events.

Building on the two earlier IPY conferences in St Petersburg in 2008, and in Oslo in 2010, which were largely scientific in focus, the Montreal conference aims to draw international attention to the Polar Regions in their global context, including related environmental, social, and economic issues, and should serve as the ‘moment of truth’ that will allow us to question the success of the IPY, both in terms of the production of knowledge, and in terms of public and policy impact. Indeed, with its official “From Knowledge to Action” slogan, and apparent lean toward Arctic research, communities, and policy (an understandable consequence of it taking place in Canada), this conference promises to be rich in the presentation of research findings made possible by extra funding and the spirit of international collaboration that were among the benefits of the IPY. It should, however, rightfully also cast a critical eye on how all this new knowledge has, in the end, penetrated or impacted public opinions and policy.

In its first editorial of 2012, Nature argued “where political leadership on climate change is lacking, scientists must be prepared to stick their heads above water”. Thanks to a constant stream of events large and small, as well as media exposure coordinated, nationally and internationally, through the IPY International Program Office, the polar science community at large has tried hard, during, and beyond the duration of the IPY, to stick its head above the melting ice. The question that persists, however, is whether or not these efforts have been successful; to what extent the polar community can build on them; and whether it is indeed up to scientists to get involved in politics and policy - or whether this should be left in the hands of communication specialist?

The success of TV series such as “Frozen Planet” demonstrate that the Polar Regions continue to fascinate, and (as has always been at the center of the International Polar Foundation’s convictions) can serve as a privileged prism through which to focus public attention on climate change issues. However, messages and findings are often obscured by a lack of basic public knowledge of how Polar environments function, or how they are interconnected and dependent on the rest of the Earth’s systems. This is all the more concerning if one accepts a recent University of Michigan study which concludes that when misinformed people, in particular those who are politically active, “are exposed to corrected facts in news stories, they rarely changed their minds [and] often became even more strongly set in their beliefs”. 

So what is the way from here, and where do we stand at the end of this extraordinary communal effort that was the fourth International Polar Year? From the perspective of international collaborative research in the field; the creation of new networks such as the thriving Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS); and indeed, the building of pioneering, solutions driven research infrastructure - the IPF’s zero emission Princess Elisabeth Antarctica research station is but one example, it can already boldly be said that the IPY has been an unmitigated success for the polar community.  In the meantime, however, carbon emissions continue to rise, and environmental change in the Arctic and Antarctic has reached a stage on the cusp of the inexorable – with obvious global consequences.

There is indeed a lot to be acted on in the week ahead, and in addressing these issues; perhaps the best outcome for the Montreal IPY Conference would be for it to serve as a beginning (or catalyst), rather than an end. 

More from the 2012 Montreal IPY Conference in the coming days.

Jean de Pomereu

Follow us on Twitter, and follow the Montreal conference, using the #IPY2012 tag.

The need for enhanced Arctic search and rescue (SAR) capabilities and environmental protection measures are among the main messages of the proceedings of the 2011 Arctic Futures Symposium, now available for download. Cooperation and dialogue among Arctic States, inhabitants and other stakeholders of the unique and environmentally fragile region, are also highlighted.

Held in October 2011 in Brussels, Belgium the Arctic Futures Symposium once again brought together a wide range of Arctic stakeholders, including EU and foreign policymakers, scientists, industry representatives, indigenous peoples and academics. Attendees participated in frank and animated debates on the key issues facing those living and working in the region, including indigenous affairs, transport and infrastructure, search and rescue, scientific research and monitoring, ecosystem stewardship and management of natural resource development.

“With global warming driving change throughout the region, Arctic Futures continues to provide a platform for dialogue amongst stakeholders,” said International Polar Foundation president and co-founder, Alain Hubert. “International cooperation is key to achieving sustainable policies for the Arctic that benefit the people that live and work there, protecting the region’s fragile ecosystem and exploring the way forward for scientific research and the development of natural resources.”

Arctic Futures is an initiative of the International Polar Foundation, in partnership with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, under the themes of cooperation, science, economy and peoples in the Arctic. Featured speakers at the 2011 symposium included HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, Iceland’s President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, and key EU and Senior Arctic Council Officials.

Key findings of the Arctic Futures Symposium 2011 report include: 

• Arctic States reiterated their position that no additional treaties or legal frameworks are necessary for Arctic governance and that decisions should be made within existing legal frameworks such the Arctic Council and other multilateral agreements, which can be further developed to address future issues
• There is clear need for improvements in Arctic transport infrastructure and search and rescue (SAR) capabilities before there can be any increase of maritime traffic and other commercial activities in the region.
• The European Union is set to continue its “constructive and dynamic” role in the Arctic’s future, including “preservation of the Arctic”, “sustainable exploitation of natural resources” and its commitment to align its activities in accordance with the priorities of the Arctic Council member states.
• While many people living and working in the Arctic are unopposed, or even welcome development of Arctic resources, many feel that this should take place under the strictest environmental standards, while respecting the concerns and rights of indigenous Arctic inhabitants, and including them in ongoing dialogue.
• Scientific research projects across a wide range of disciplines in the Arctic – in particular long-term observation campaigns – must be supported, as it makes it possible to identify clear trends and provides policymakers with a sound basis for decision making.
• Earth Observation and remote sensing technologies play an increasing role in observing the Arctic for scientific research and providing essential information for safeguarding commercial and local activities in the region. They also provide a step change in our appreciation of the rate of change large-scale mechanisms.

“The Arctic urgently needs 21^st century solutions for the issues it faces, not the tired approaches of the past,” said Nighat Admin, International Polar Foundation vice-president. “This means resolutely looking forward to deliver the best outcomes for the people and environment of the Arctic.”

The Arctic Futures 2011 proceedings are available here in PDF format

This year: The 2012 Arctic Futures Symposium is scheduled for the 4^th and 5^th of October, in Brussels. To register your interest, contact events@polarfoundation.org

However much you have travelled the world, nothing can prepare you for the grandeur and spectacle of the Antarctic with its diverse abundant wildlife, the often tragic history of its exploration, the remnants of man’s abuse of the natural environment and something that one takes for granted when looking from afar: the ice. The ice, particularly where it collides with the sea, is simply “awesome”.

Sailing through the ice floes you cannot but be filled with awe and wonder at the sight before you. You see the vast glaciers forming ice cliffs where they meet the sea, you watch huge blocks of ice collapsing into the sea to produce icebergs large and small, and you wonder at the different colours that the combination of light, sea and ice produce: blue, green, grey or, of course, sparkling white.

The whole region of the Southern Ocean, the Antarctic Circle and eventually to the Pole itself represents an enormous challenge for the human race. It is the last genuine wilderness, largely uninhabited but seven nations have laid claim to parts of it. What we do to the planet affects the climate of these precious ecosystems. In the past, the sealers managed to virtually wipe out the fur seal population to satisfy human demand for their fur. Once the seals had been killed, we turned our attention to decimating the whales. The ruins of the whaling station at Grytviken are a fitting reminder that here during the 20th century (according to their impeccable record keeping), many millions of whales were killed and processed.

Nowadays, we are concerned about the reduction of the albatross population as a consequence of the rapid increase of line fishing, some of which is illegal or unregulated. We also keep a watchful eye on the supplies of krill, the staple diet of so many species of marine animals in the region, which are being affected by diminishing sea ice cover and illegal fishing.

However it is not all bad news. There are still vast colonies of eight varieties of penguins. Six species of seals lounge around wherever you look on land, snow or ice floes. And of course, whales play in the vast ocean expanses.  The Antarctic Treaty signed by nations with an interest in the Antarctic is holding. It embodies in international law substantial protections for the region, its wildlife and its environment.  It also regulates tourism, which has the potential to do serious damage in the future.  Moreover, the wildlife is probably more robust than we sometimes give it credit for: we have witnessed the recovery of the fur seal population to levels at least as great as before commercial sealing began.

The message for the human race, however, must be one of eternal vigilance, lest we lose our planet’s last remaining wilderness.

- Stephen Cox

About Stephen Cox

Stephen Cox is currently a Trustee of the UK Branch of IPF. A geographer by background, he was appointed Executive Director of the Royal Society, the UK's national academy, in July 1997. He retired in February 2011 after leading the Royal Society in celebrating its 350th anniversary in 2010.

Mr. Cox now chairs the Council of Royal Holloway University of London and the Board of Atlantic College in South Wales. He is also a Trustee of the Council for Assisting Refugee Academics and is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and in 1997, he was awarded a CVO in the Queen's Birthday Honours. Mr. Cox holds an Honorary DSc from Lancaster University.

He recently spending nearly a month of the Antarctic summer travelling by ship from Ushuaia to the Antarctic Peninsula.

What is a Belgian Teacher doing in Antarctica? Well, Koen Meilaen and his students won the PolarQuest contest by creating the AHA project to increase the awareness of teachers, parents and students alike towards sustainable development.

Koen is now spending 1 month at Princess Elisabeth in the framework of that project. We had the opportunity to interview him after spending 4 weeks at the station. His interview is up on the station's website, where you can read it as an introduction. You can also read more about Koen's education project on EducaPoles.

It details the activities Koen carries out in Antarctica in the framework of his educational project. Koen explains his interactions with scientists working at Princess Elisabeth and with his students back in Belgium over Skype. He also shares his impressions about being in Antarctica for the first time.

The AHA Project is truly a nice experiment in terms of project based education & outreach, something the International Polar Foundation is really interested in and does its best to support.

On December 14^th, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and Monegasque car manufacturer Venturi co-organized the conference “Antarctica 1911-2011” to commemorate the centenary of Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen’s successful attempt to reach the South Pole. The event was held at the Oceanography Museum of Monaco under the high patronage of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and in presence of SEM Michel Rocard, French Ambassador for the Poles.

Prior to the conference, IPF Executive Director Thierry Touchais joined with representatives and experts from various organizations to discuss clean mobility solutions in Antarctica. In partnership with the IPF, Venturi is currently developing a vehicle for Antarctic in-field operations. The “Venturi Antarctica” will take the “zero emission” operations of the Princess Elisabeth Station one step further by integrating into the station’s technologically advanced smart grid and allowing the scientists to head into the field “emissions free”. A first test campaign of the vehicle is planned for the 2013-2014 season.

Opening up to the public in the afternoon, the conference started with the projection of the documentary “Antarctique 2011 – Objectif Pôle Sud”. On the occasion of this centenary, HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco addressed the descendants of polar explorers Scott and Amundsen. A link was then established with Alain Hubert, President of the International Polar Foundation and of the Belgian Polar Secretariat, currently managing the operations for the season at the Princess Elisabeth Station. Rounding up the conference, Venturi President Gildo Pallanca Pastor and Florence Lambert, responsible for the battery and fuel cell program at the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), presented the “Venturi Antarctica” program.

On December 8^th, TSH Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco honoured the official launch of the Polaris Climate Change Observatory (PCCO), a project of the International Polar Foundation, with their presence and support. The project was presented at the Clock Tower in Cape Town (South Africa) by Michel de Wouters, Secretary General of IPF South Africa; Nighat Amin, Vice-President of the IPF; and Prof. Uwe Brückner, creator of the scenography for the PCCO project.

During His speech (see below), HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco stressed the importance of the PCCO as a project that offers a proactive first step in answering the question of how to get the public at large and decision makers to share our current concerns for the planet’s climate and environment while they are confronted with other urgencies. The Prince also highlighted the importance of the private sector as an essential partner, and mentioned the synergies with His own foundation.

The Prince concluded His speech on an optimistic note with a meaningful quote from the late Dr. Wangari Maathai: “You cannot protect the environment unless you empower people, you inform them, and you help them understand that these resources are their own, that they must protect them”

The PCCO project is strongly supported by the City of Cape Town and the developers of the V&A Waterfront. Scheduled to open its doors to the public in 2014, the Polaris Climate Change Observatory will be a benchmark in design and technology in a city recently chosen to be the “World Design Capital” for 2014.