On May 27^th, the laureates of the 6^th edition of the Energy and Environment Awards were announced in Tour & Taxis (Brussels). The prize is supported by over 100 organizations, most notably by the International Polar Foundation (IPF) which has been presenting the IPF Award since the prize’s inception. With IPF President Alain Hubert stuck in Greenland, it was Executive Director Thierry Touchais who presented the award for the 2011 edition.

Since the first year of the prize, in 2006, the award has been given to about 1.200 citizens, corporations, public organizations or NGOs that all contributed to better management and protection of the environment, the energy or the climate in Belgium.

The IPF Award is presented to a candidate whose actions have had a beneficial impact on the struggle against climate change. The laureate for this year was Eandis (Melle).

The project is an investment project to reduce the energy costs in Antwerp schools by at least 26%. The aim of Eandis, in partnering with the City of Antwerp, is to reduce energy consumption and take green measures in schools. With 50 schools involved, this project will become a model for the entire Flemish Community.

The IPF recently became an Associate Member of the University of the Arctic. IPF Executive Director Thierry Touchais participated in the celebrations for the 10th Anniversary of the University of the Arctic on June 8th at the University of Lapland in Rovaniemi, Finland.

The 10th anniversary event, which took place during the University of the Arctic’s 14th Council Meeting, was marked by a special seminar organized at the University of Lapland on Green Growth in opportunities in the Arctic. Keynote speakers at the event included Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson (President of Iceland), Hannele Pokka (Permanent Secretary of Finland’s Ministry of the Environment), Gustaf Lind (Sweden’s Arctic Ambassador), and J. Okalik Eegeesiak (President of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association). The anniversary event concluded with a gala dinner to honour the the achievements of the University of the Arctic, its programmes, and its members.

During the event, the IPF was welcomed as an Associate Member along with a number of other partners. This is the first time the University of the Arctic has accepted members under this special new status.

Ten years ago, the University of the Arctic was officially created with the support of regional institutions and governments, and, importantly, Arctic indigenous peoples. Since then, its importance as an international actor has been demonstrated in the role it played in the recent International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-2008, helping to coordinate the education and outreach activities resulting from the IPY’s international scientific research projects.

Over the course of the past ten years, the University of the Arctic has managed to create an empowered and sustainable North through education and partnerships and has grown to meet additional needs and serve more areas of the Circumpolar North through its important alliances and expanding programs. The IPF is very proud to be part of this ongoing vision.

On Wednesday, May 18^th, the AHA! project, led by Koen Meirlaen and his students from the Leiepoort Deinze Campus Sint-Hendrik became the final winners of the Polar Quest Contest. While the first part of the contest is now over, a next chapter will be written next year as Mr Meirlaen heads down to the Princess Elisabeth Station in Antarctica (PEA). The aim of the AHA! project is to link the scientific research conducted at PEA to analog projects at school. By conducting some observations themselves, the students should then better understand the impact of their behaviour on the environment and consequently adapt it.

Out of 31 participants, three classes made it to the final round of Polar Quest and were given the task of drafting a project proposal on scientific research to be conducted at PEA. They all defended their projects ferociously in “Class Zero Emission” at the IPF. The jury was impressed by the creativity and motivation of the students and their teachers, and the time and effort each group put into their planning.

After a moment of palpable excitement, the students of the Leiepoort Deinze Campus Sint-Hendrik jumped for joy as their name was announced. They will send their teacher to Antarctica next season and all received a 250€ voucher of AS Adventure. Completing the podium were the “SUNAPEAL” project of the Gemeentelijk Technisch Instituut van Londerzeel, in second place with the technologically advanced sun tracker they planned to test in Antarctica, and the Sint-Jozefinstituut van Essen with their interesting scientific project on the impact of UV radiation on climate change in third place. As a special prize for their efforts, teachers Wim Van Buggenhout and Karen Adriaenssen were both awarded an iPad by the IPF, while their students received a 150€ voucher of AS Adventure.

The International Polar Year is a large scientific programme focused on the Arctic and the Antarctic from March 2007 to March 2009. During this period, an interdisciplinary and international science programme reinforced science about polar oceans, glaciers and ice sheets, permafrost, etc. In this framework, an integrated Education & Outreach programme gave the general public, media professionals, researchers, and policy makers the opportunity to experience science in real time.

Despite results becoming increasingly available, climate issues remain complex. Therefore, further development and dissemination of educational material are needed to explain the information and clarify the entire process behind (polar) science. The ultimate aim is to leave a legacy for the future of science and a broader environmental literacy, as underlined at the Arctic Council and at the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings.

This aspect was clearly identified as crucial during the Oslo 2010 conference, where the IPF co-organized the PolarTEACHER conference. The IPF also allows a continuation of the exchange of information between established scientists, early career scientists, communicators, educators, journalists and the general public through its projects and outreach websites.

A partner in the 2007-2008 IPY, the International Polar Foundation took part in various activities and participated in several initiatives. Some of these include:

• Collaboration in Polar Weeks
• Polar Resource Book, for which the IPF presented five of its classroom activities and four of its projects
• Damocles

Yet, the activities of the IPF did not end along with the IPY and true to its objectives; the IPF provided a permanent home for the outreach products of young scientists. Under the PolarQuest project, various scientists were invited to Class Zero Emission to explain their vision and fascination of polar research to 17-year olds. Moreover, over the course of the last Antarctic season, a series of articles was published to explain the scientific projects conducted at the Princess Elisabeth Station to teachers and their students.

From March 30^th to May 31^st, Tour & Taxi (Brussels) will host the exhibition “From Brussels, Xiè Xiè Shanghai” (“Thank You, Shanghai”). The exhibition will give those who did not get to see the Belgium Pavilion in Shanghai the opportunity to feel a little of the atmosphere that reigned in China during the six months of the 41^st World Expo.

The IPF, which was present with the Ice Cube in Shanghai, is featured in the exhibition with a scale model of the Princess Elisabeth Station, but also Antarctic meteorites and rocks, a video on the construction of the world’s first “zero emission” station, and a slide show presenting the various scientific projects conducted at the station.

This exhibition follows up on the tremendous success of the Belgium Pavilion and shares it with the largely cosmopolitan audience in the European capital, a symbolic way to say “Thank You, Shanghai”.

On February 15^th, the Princess Elisabeth research station in Antarctica (PEA) was the focal point of the launch of the 'mardis durables du Palais', a special exhibition focusing on sustainable technologies and innovations, at the ‘Palais de la Découverte’ (Paris).

For the first ‘Mardi durable’, called ‘Islands, innovation lands for smart grids’, two connections with the Princess Elisabeth Station were scheduled. While the first of these was dedicated to students, another one gathered a panel of experts around French journalist Fabrice Papillon for a debate. Both sessions were broadcast on the ‘Palais de la Découverte’ WEBTV.

After a presentation of the station by Mr Thierry Touchais, Executive Director of the International Polar Foundation, and the presentations from the engineers from IPF partners GDF Suez and Schneider Electric, the students were able to ask Alain Hubert questions and listen to his experience of the new technologies being used on the ground in Antarctica and on the feasibility of “zero emissions” in the real world.

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On February 15^th 2011 the Princess Elisabeth research station in Antarctica (PEA) will be the centre of attention at the launch of the 'mardis durables du Palais', a special exhibition focussing on sustainable technologies and innovations, at the ‘Palais de la Découverte’ (Paris).

The first of the ‘Mardis durables’ is called ‘Islands, innovation lands for smart grids’, and will feature a session dedicated to students, followed by a round table of experts discussing smart grids. This special session will be broadcast live on the WEBTV at 2.30 pm. The video conference with Alain Hubert at the Princess Elisabeth Station will be preceded by a presentation of the station, as well as a discussion between the engineers of GDF Suez and Schneider Electric. These engineers set up the smart grid which allows the Princess Elisabeth Station to rely solely on the electricity provided by the wind turbines and solar panels.

During the video conference, the students will be able to ask Alain Hubert questions and he will share his experience of the new technologies and on the feasibility of “zero emissions”, even in the most extreme conditions on Earth.

The southern hemisphere winter is over, and as the Antarctic warms up, the members of the BELARE (Belgian Antarctic Research) 2010-2011 expedition have headed to Antarctica to re-open the Princess Elisabeth Station for its first complete “zero emission” season. Departing from Cape Town (South Africa), they landed at Utsteinen on November 11th.

Later on in the season, the icebreaker Mary Arctica, which has already left from Zeebrugge with 13 containers containing 67 tons of material, food, fuel, and scientific equipment, will resupply the team to last until the end of February.

Upon arrival at Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, the team quickly started clearing the entrance to the technical areas and the garages, before starting other activities. With their field training now completed, the members of the BELISSIMA project (glaciology) will be heading to the coast to makes various measurements in an effort to better understand the interactions between the ocean and the ice at the contact point with the ice shelf.

Later on in the season, these scientists will be joined by the teams from the MICROMETA, SAMBA, GIANT/LISSA, BELATMOS, HYDRANT, and BELDIVA projects.

Go to the station's website

The IPF was invited to attend the 2010 Sibos financial conference in Amsterdam by organizer and long-time partner, SWIFT. A commitment had been taken at the last Sibos event in Hong Kong to make this year’s event as green as possible. The IPF worked closely with SWIFT on this project as part of the continued partnership.

With a record 9,000 attendees, SWIFT also ensured that sustainability was on the agenda, with a paperless conference stand area, as well as actions in recycling and generally reducing the carbon footprint of the event. On the last day, all reusable material and non-perishable goods were collected by SWIFT from all corporate booths to be given to a local charity.

IPF Executive Director Thierry Touchais facilitated a session entitled “Sustainability: Doing Good Is Good For Business”, which, following presentations from Corporate Sustainability managers from some of the world’s leading banks, opened into a discussion about the need to share ideas across the financial industry and even consider standards for future sustainable action at a sectoral level.

Another exercise run throughout the conference was called “Long Now Finance”, which looked at the future of banking up to 2080 from various angles including legal, economic, technical, social and environmental. Mr. Touchais gave a contribution which sparked some interesting dialogue on future scenarios of energy and trading markets. The theme of “Long Now Finance” was further addressed in the closing plenary by leading futurist, Paul Saffo.

The Sibos conference also gave the IPF a chance to present its milestone achievement  – Princess Elisabeth Antarctica Station – and its major new project, the Polaris Climate Change Observatory – to new potential partners. There was also interest in the postcard competition where attendees were given a chance to receive a postcard sent from Antarctica.

“Sibos is a unique open window into the financial community for the IPF, and we are happy to walk with our partner SWIFT down the path to sustainability. Moderating a session with banking and industry leaders, taking part in the launch of an industry-wide seed initiative for sustainable practices, contributing to the ‘Long Now’ of finance sessions, meeting people from many walks of life – all made Sibos a very special event which will continue to help us reach our goals of a zero emission society in the future,” said Thierry Touchais.

Next year’s Sibos will be held in Toronto and there have already been calls for continued discussions on how the finance industry as a whole can look further and start working together for a sustainable future on top of simply profit.

IPF has been invited to attend the world’s premier financial services event – Sibos – being held in Amsterdam from October 25-29, 2010.

Organised by long time IPF partner SWIFT, this year's conference will be the greenest ever, in large part thanks to the IPF's collaborative work with SWIFT in creating a more sustainable event. Delegates and exhibitors are being encouraged to lower their carbon footprint, and IPF has been asked to also speak at the event.

Keeping in line with our ethos of "educate to understand, understand to act", the IPF will be helping to raise awareness and start debate about making the financial services industry more green and building relationships with corporates. CEO Thierry Touchais will be representing IPF in many different sessions, including making two speeches about IPF at the Innotribe forum, moderating a session about "sustainability - doing good is good for business" and also speaking as an "Environmental Driver" in the "Long Now" sessions looking at the future of the world.

The IPF has also devised a unique contest for delegates – a competition for collectors and their children - A Postcard from Antarctica.

The Princess Elisabeth Station is about to open for the polar season. Alain Hubert, co-founder of the IPF, and a group of scientists and specialists, will be traveling to Antarctica in November and staying there until February next year. There is a post office within the station – and the IPF is offering the chance to have a postcard sent postmarked from Antarctica.

Only open to Sibos delegates, interested people must come to visit the IPF staff at the SWIFT exhibition stand and leave their business card.

Cards will be drawn twice a day, so there will be 10 chances to win an official Postcard from Antarctica.