Ms. Coninsx is a Senior Associate Fellow at Egmont - The Royal Institute for International Relations (Belgium). She is associated with its European Affairs Program, focusing on Arctic affairs.

A native of Belgium, Ambassador Coninsx is dedicated to the European idea. She spent 35 years at the EU, including as EU Ambassador to Canada and to Mexico. She served in the EU Delegations to the United Nations in New York and in Geneva, and gained extensive experience in multilateral issues. She studied law at Ghent University (Belgium), and carried out her post-graduate studies at Cambridge University (UK) and at the European University Centre in Nancy (France). She is fluent in Dutch, French, English, German, and Spanish.

During her time as EU Ambassador at Large for the Arctic, Ms. Coninsx contributed substantively to the Arctic Futures Symposium, an annual dialogue on Arctic issues organised by the IPF and its Arctic stakeholder partners from around the Arctic Region (www.arcticfutures.org).

IPF Founder and Chairman Alain Hubert expressed his great pleasure with the decision of Ms. Coninsx to join the Foundation. “We’re thrilled to welcome someone with the distinguished career and international geopolitical experience of Marie-Anne,” he said. “Her advice and input will be highly valued as we develop IPF’s projects in the coming years.”

“I’m delighted to become a Board member of the International Polar Foundation,” she stated. “I intend to bring my extensive experience and knowledge about the Polar Regions into the work of the Foundation. I am very proud to join such a renowned Foundation dedicated to Polar issues.”

The International Polar Foundation (IPF):

The IPF is a private law foundation with a public service mandate.  It was set up in 2002 by Alain Hubert and the leading climate scientist André Berger and the glaciologist Hugo Decleir. Its remit is to support international polar scientific research and to disseminate the important findings to the public and decision makers.

The IPF was behind the creation of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica station, which was officially inaugurated in 2007 as the first zero-emissions station. PEA re-established a Belgian presence in Antarctica at the service of science and concerned citizens increasingly facing climate and environmental challenges. Every year, the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica station hosts scientists from all over the World.

Press contacts:

Joseph Cheek
Project Manager & Communication Officer
joseph.cheek@polarfoundation.org
P: +32 (0) 2 520 34 40

Nicolas Van Hoecke
Managing Director
nicolas.vanhoecke@polarfoundation.org
P: +32 (0) 2 520 34 40
M: +32 (0) 478 90 71 76

Follow us:

Facebook: facebook.com/intpolarfoundation
Instagram: instagram.com/international_polar_foundation/
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Twitter: twitter.com/polarfoundation
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Visit us:

http://www.polarfoundation.org/

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Nederlandse versie

Voormalig EU-ambassadrice Noordpoolgebied Marie-Anne Coninsx benoemd tot Raad van Bestuur International Polar Foundation

Brussel, 3 mei 2022 - Marie-Anne Coninsx, Europa’s eerste ambassadrice voor het Noordpoolgebied, is toegetreden tot de Raad van Bestuur van de International Polar Foundation (IPF).

Mevr. Coninsx is Senior Associate Fellow bij Egmont – The Royale Institute for International Relations (België), verbonden aan het European Affairs Programme en focust er op Arctische zaken.

Ambassadrice Coninsx, geboren in België, is gehecht aan het Europese ideaal. Ze werkte 35 jaar voor de EU, onder meer als EU-ambassadrice in Canada en Mexico. Ze was lid van de EU-delegaties bij de Verenigde Naties in New York en in Genève, en deed uitgebreide ervaring op in multilaterale kwesties. Ze studeerde rechten aan de Universiteit van Gent (België), en voerde haar postdoctorale studies uit aan de Universiteit van Cambridge (VK) en aan het European University Centre in Nancy (Frankrijk). Ze spreekt vloeiend Nederlands, Frans, Engels, Duits en Spaans.

Als EU-ambassadrice voor het Noordpoolgebied, heeft Mevr. Coninsx substantieel bijgedragen aan het Arctic Futures Symposium, een jaarlijkse dialoog over Arctische kwesties, georganiseerd door de IPF en door Arctische spelers uit het hele Noordpoolgebied (www.arcticfutures.org).

IPF-oprichter en voorzitter Alain Hubert is opgezet met de komst van mevrouw Coninsx. "We zijn heel tevreden Marie-Anne te verwelkomen. Ze heeft een indrukwekkende carrière en ongeziene internationale geopolitieke ervaring," zei hij. “Haar advies en kennis zullen zeer gewaardeerd worden nu we nieuwe projecten ontwikkelen.”

"Ik ben verheugd om bestuurslid te worden van de International Polar Foundation", verklaarde Mevr. Coninsx. “Ik wens mijn kennis over de poolgebieden ter beschikking te stellen van de Stichting. Ik ben erg trots om lid te worden van zo'n gerenommeerde Stichting die zich inzet voor Polaire-kwesties.”

De International Polar Foundation (IPF):

De IPF is een privaatrechtelijke stichting van openbaar nut. De stichting werd in 2002 opgericht door Alain Hubert en toonaangevende klimaatwetenschapper André Berger en de glacioloog Hugo Decleir. De missie van IPF bestaat erin internationaal poolwetenschappelijk onderzoek te steunen en belangrijke bevindingen te verspreiden onder het publiek en besluitvormers.

De stichting ligt ook aan de basis van het Princess Elisabeth Antarctica-station dat in 2007 werd ingehuldigd als het eerste en tot op heden enige "zero emissie"-station, met het oog op het behoud van de Belgische aanwezigheid op Antarctica ten dienste van burgers die steeds meer worden geconfronteerd met klimaat- en milieu-uitdagingen. Het Belgische Princess Elisabeth-station Antarctica verwelkomt jaarlijks vele wetenschappers van alle nationaliteiten.

Pers contacten:

Joseph Cheek
Project Manager & Communication Officer
joseph.cheek@polarfoundation.org
P: +32 (0) 2 520 34 40

Nicolas Van Hoecke
Managing Director
nicolas.vanhoecke@polarfoundation.org
P: +32 (0) 2 520 34 40
M: +32 (0) 478 90 71 76

Volg ons:

Facebook: facebook.com/intpolarfoundation
Instagram: instagram.com/international_polar_foundation/
Tiktok: @int.polarfoundation
Twitter: twitter.com/polarfoundation
LinkedIn: https://be.linkedin.com/company/international-polar-foundation

Bezeok ons:

http://www.polarfoundation.org/

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Version Française

Première ambassadrice de l'UE pour l'Arctique, Marie-Anne Coninsx, rejoint le Conseil d'Administration de la Fondation Polaire Internationale

Bruxelles, le 3 mai 2022 - Marie-Anne Coninsx, première ambassadrice de l'UE pour l'Arctique, a rejoint le Conseil d'Administration de la Fondation Polaire Internationale (IPF).

Mme Coninsx est Senior Associate Fellow à Egmont – The Royal Institute for International Relations (Belgique) - et est associée à son programme d'affaires européennes et se concentre sur les affaires arctiques.

Originaire de Belgique, l'ambassadrice Coninsx est dévouée à l'idéal européen. Elle a passé 35 ans au service de l’Europe, notamment en tant qu'ambassadrice de l'UE au Canada et au Mexique. Elle a également servi dans les délégations de l'UE auprès des Nations unies à New York et à Genève et a acquis une vaste expérience des questions multilatérales. Mme Coninsx a étudié le droit à l'Université de Gand (Belgique) et a effectué ses études supérieures à l'Université de Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) et au Centre Universitaire Européen de Nancy (France). Elle parle couramment le néerlandais, le français, l'anglais, l'allemand et l’espagnol.

Pendant son mandat d'ambassadrice de l'UE pour l'Arctique, Mme Coninsx a contribué de manière importante au symposium Arctic Futures, un dialogue annuel sur les questions arctiques organisé par l'IPF et ses partenaires de l'Arctique de toute la région arctique (www.arcticfutures.org).

Le fondateur et Président de l'IPF, Alain Hubert, s'est dit très heureux de la décision de Mme Coninsx de rejoindre la Fondation. « Nous sommes ravis d'accueillir Marie-Anne. Elle a une impressionnante carrière et une expérience géopolitique internationale inégalée », a-t-il déclaré. « Ses conseils et sa contribution seront très appréciés alors que nous développons de nouveaux projets ».

« Je suis ravie de rejoindre le Conseil d'Administration de la Fondation Polaire Internationale », a-t-elle déclaré. « J'ai l'intention mettre ma vaste expérience et mes connaissances sur les régions polaires à disposition de la Fondation. Je suis très fière de rejoindre une fondation aussi renommée dédiée aux questions polaires. »

La Fondation Polaire Internationale (IPF) :

L’IPF est une fondation d’utilité publique créée en 2002 par Alain Hubert et le climatologue renommé André Berger et le glaciologue Hugo Decleir. La fondation a comme mission le soutien de la recherche scientifique polaire internationale et la dissémination d’importantes découvertes au grand public et décideurs.

L’IPF est également à l’initiative de la station antarctique Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, inaugurée en 2007 en tant que première et - à ce jour - seule station « zéro émission », en vue de préserver la présence antarctique belge et d’en poursuivre l’ambition au service de la science et des citoyens confrontés aux défis climatiques et environnementaux. La station belge Princess Elisabeth Antarctica accueille chaque année de nombreux scientifiques de toutes nationalités.

Contactes presse :

Joseph Cheek
Project Manager & Communication Officer
joseph.cheek@polarfoundation.org
P: +32 (0) 2 520 34 40

Nicolas Van Hoecke
Managing Director
nicolas.vanhoecke@polarfoundation.org
P: +32 (0) 2 520 34 40
M: +32 (0) 478 90 71 76

Suivez-nous :

Facebook: facebook.com/intpolarfoundation
Instagram: instagram.com/international_polar_foundation/
Tiktok: @int.polarfoundation
Twitter: twitter.com/polarfoundation
LinkedIn: https://be.linkedin.com/company/international-polar-foundation

Notre site :

http://www.polarfoundation.org/

Below are the facts the IPF would like to share with the press to clarify the situation:

All residents at the Princess Elisabeth Station have to follow strict sanitary measures before and upon arrival at the station (medical examinations, vaccination, PCR tests, quarantine – see complete list of measures taken at the end of this document).

• December 9, 2021: An inbound flight arrived from Cape Town with crew members and scientists
• December 14, 2021: All crew members and scientists tested after planned COVID test (arrival + 5 days)
• December 15, 2021: A first positive case with mild symptoms was recorded at Princess Elisabeth Antarctica and the person was immediately isolated.
• The individual who had symptoms on the 15th was infected probably around the December 10. And when it was decided that the best thing for this person to do would be to leave on the next flight on December 23 (D07 flight), he did not present (according to the best available information on hand) any substantial risk to others.
• As PEA is a “zero emission” building, people are living in a passive building, which means it has a common ventilation system, similar toa plane. In such an environment the circulation of micro-organisms is inevitable.
• Subsequently, there were 8 positive tests in December. Some had minor symptoms (sore throat generally).  All recovered within a short amount of time.
• The management at the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica offered anyone who so wished the opportunity to leave on a scheduled flight on January 12. However, everyone expressed their wish to stay and continue their work.
• In addition, a new team of scientists will arrive at the station on January 12 as planned. They were also informed of the outbreak and given the opportunity to cancel, which they refused.
• Today: there are currently eight external scientists and 22 station crew working from the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica. Four of the eight external scientists currently at PEA are conducting remote field work.
• At this time the IPF and the Belgian Polar Secretariat is collecting data on the infection trajectory (no cases since December 29 2021), and will not lend support to speculation.
• Fortunately, the COVID outbreak consisted of minor symptoms, if any. The expedition members all remained calm and positive.  We attribute this to the professionalism of the team, who has many years of experience handling challenging situations in extreme environments.
• For those living and working at the station, life goes on normally and the important work of the BELARE (Belgian Antarctic Research Expedition) with regard to science support continues unhindered.
• We are aware that the figure of 16 people at the station testing positive is circulating in some media outlets and on social media. This number is inaccurate and does not reflect the number of individuals who tested positive at Princess Elisabeth Antarctica.
• It is misleading to say that new arrivals to the station have been suspended until January 12. There was no scheduled flight in or out of the station until January 12; none of the flights scheduled has been cancelled or postponed due to COVID. All flights to and from the station are scheduled at the start of the season. The inbound and outbound flights on January 12 are merely flights that had already been scheduled, and these only vary if the weather is not favourable.

Below you may find a complete list of anti-COVID measures required by the 2021-22 Belgian Antarctic Research Expedition (BELARE) and enforced for all residents of Princess Elisabeth Antarctica:

• Prior to departure from their country of origin (there are not only Belgians, but also British, Irish, American, Canadian, German, French, and Swiss nationals at the station) each person is obliged to be fully vaccinated (with the 2nd dose given at least 14 days prior to travel for a two-dose vaccine). One person at the station this season was able to get a booster shot prior to leaving for Antarctica.
• Prior to departure from their country of origin, each person is obliged to undergo a complete physical exam by a doctor to ensure that they are in good physical condition. No one in poor health is allowed to go on missions to the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica.
• Each person must take a PCR test 72 hours before their departure from their country of origin to Cape Town, where they are required to quarantine before heading on to Antarctica. Anyone with a positive PCR test is not allowed to travel to Cape Town.
• Each person must take a PCR Test five days after their arrival in Cape Town (if a person becomes infected on the flight to Cape Town, symptoms would usually manifest themselves by this time).
• Once the quarantine is over, each person must take a PCR test maximum 48 hours before departure from Cape Town to Antarctica. Wearing masks on these flights is mandatory.
• Each person must take a PCR test again five days after their arrival to PEA (again, most infections would usually manifest themselves by this time).

Six months ago, on World Environment Day (5 June), Venturi, the Monegasque manufacturer of high-performance electric vehicles, presented the new Antarctica to H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco. For the last week, the Monegasque vehicle has been enabling scientists based at the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica polar station to move around this region of East Antarctica with their equipment, while limiting disruption to the ecosystem as far as possible.

During its first week of operation, the Antarctica has enabled several scientific missions to be carried out on the ground, including maintenance work on several automated weather observation stations and the new Belgian atmospheric observation station located at an altitude of 2,300 metres on the Antarctic Plateau. Thanks to this new type of vehicle, it was possible to reach the station without disrupting the environment. All of these journeys also provided an opportunity to take snow surface temperature measurements, which are used to validate satellite measurements. In addition, this new version of the Venturi Antarctica enabled a simulated emergency rescue to be carried out, based on the scenario of extracting someone from the bottom of a crevasse.

The Antarctica’s capabilities are consistent with the fully environmental vision and approach of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica station, the first, and to date only, zero-emission station on the continent. There, teams from the International Polar Foundation (IPF), the station’s operator and a partner of the Belgian Polar Secretariat, work tirelessly to advance research and prepare for the implementation of new projects on, among other things, hydrogen and a new, high-performance water treatment system.

In addition to hosting more than 50 scientists and team members this season, the station is also the nerve centre to start operating the Venturi Antarctica. The vehicle will be an additional asset for the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica station in its mission to support the climate research being conducted by the numerous scientific teams.

The Antarctica brings together all of Venturi’s technological expertise. The Research and Development teams, already working on world speed records for Voxan and Venturi, came up with a vehicle unlike any other. With its fold-down bench seats positioned lengthwise, it can carry 1 to 6 people, equipment and even a second battery to extend its starting range of 50 to 200 kilometres in temperatures as low as -50°C.

“Almost 12 years ago to the day, H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco returned from a trip to Antarctica and told me that the scientific research stations did not have clean vehicles. Through the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, Venturi was then entrusted with the task of providing a zero-emission solution that would enable access to areas of scientific study. Back then, in 2009, there was no technology that allowed such a vehicle to operate on rough terrain at -50°C. This third version of the Antarctica is now optimal. My teams and I are proud to supply this vehicle to the International Polar Foundation.” - Gildo Pastor, President of Venturi.

“Our work with Venturi shows that any organisation can identify a range of solutions to climate issues. The remit of our foundation and Belgium’s Princess Elisabeth station is very clear: to offer scientists the opportunity to carry out their research in Antarctica from a first-class base that also produces zero emissions. The Venturi Antarctica is fully consistent with this vision. It opens up a new era for operational logistics in Antarctica within the framework of the Madrid Protocol signed in 1992. This environmental protocol invited parties to the Antarctic Treaty to continually improve the environmental management of operations.

The tests conducted to date have been very convincing, and we are delighted to be able to continue our involvement in improving the energy performance of this vehicle in service of science. “ - Alain Hubert, founder and President of the International Polar Foundation.

Photos of the Venturi Antarctica are available under the "Press Pictures" section of this website.

About the International Polar Foundation (IPF): The IPF is a public foundation, created in 2002 by Alain Hubert. Its remit is to support international polar scientific research. The IPF was also behind the creation of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica station, which was officially opened in 2007 as the first and, to date, only zero-emission station, with a view to maintaining a Belgian presence in Antarctica and pursuing its ambition in service of citizens facing climate and environmental challenges. Every year, the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica station hosts numerous scientists of all nationalities.

About Venturi Group:  Since 2000, the VENTURI Group has specialised in the design and manufacture of high-performance electric vehicles. Whether through world records, expeditions on hostile terrain, the creation of the first electric sports car, the development of innovative vehicles or its involvement in the Formula E World Championship, the VENTURI Group embodies and demonstrates all the capabilities of the electric vehicle on 2 or 4 wheels.

Joseph Cheek 
Project Manager & Communication Officer
jcheek@polarfoundation.org
P: +32 (0) 2 520 34 40
www.polarfoundation.org

Nicolas Van Hoecke
Managing Director
nicolas.vanhoecke@polarfoundation.org
P: +32 (0) 2 520 34 40
M: +32 (0) 478 90 71 76
www.polarfoundation.org

Follow us : 
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Instagram : instagram.com/international_polar_foundation/
Tiktok: @int.polarfoundation
Twitter : twitter.com/polarfoundation

Visit us : 
www.polarfoundation.org

Contact Venturi
Mr Fabrice BROUWERS
Head Communications
M: +33 (0)6 40 61 00 80
@: fbrouwers@venturi.com
www.venturi.com

Version Française

LA STATION POLAIRE PRINCESS ELISABETH ANTARCTICA TESTE LE VENTURI ANTARCTICA 

Bruxelles, le 17 décembre 2021 – La station antarctique Princess Elisabeth Antarctica accueille l'équipe de Venturi et son Venturi Antarctica, premier engin électrique d’exploration polaire. Depuis le 10 décembre dernier, les équipes de la base belge zéro émission disposent pour les missions scientifiques d’un moyen de déplacement de déplacement éco-responsable. Il s’agit d’une première mondiale : jamais aucun véhicule électrique à chenilles n’avait roulé sur l’hostile continent blanc.

Il y a six mois, à l’occasion de la journée mondiale de l’environnement (le 5 juin), le constructeur monégasque de véhicules électriques hautes performances Venturi présentait à S.A.S. le Prince Albert II de Monaco le nouvel Antarctica. Depuis une semaine, l’engin Monégasque permet aux scientifiques basés à la station polaire Princess Elisabeth Antarctica de se déplacer avec leur matériel dans cette région de l’Antarctique de l’Est et ce, en limitant au maximum toute perturbation pour l'écosystème. 
Durant sa première semaine d’exploitation, l’Antarctica a permis d’effectuer plusieurs missions scientifiques sur le terrain. Parmi celles-ci, on notera la maintenance de plusieurs stations autonomes d’observations météorologiques ou encore celle de la nouvelle station belge d’observation atmosphérique sur le plateau antarctique à 2300m d’altitude. Celle-ci a pu être approchée sans plus aucun effet perturbateur sur l’environnement grâce à ce nouveau type de véhicule.  C’est encore lors de tous ces déplacements qu’on put être réalisés des mesures de température de la surface de la neige pour la validation de mesures satellitaires. 
Cette nouvelle version du « Venturi Antarctica » a aussi permis de simuler une opération de secours visant à extraire une personne depuis le fond d’une crevasse.

Les capacités du véhicule Antarctica s’inscrivent dans la vision et l’approche entièrement environnementale de la station Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, la première, et à ce jour la seule station zéro-émission sur le continent antarctique. En tant qu’opérateur et partenaire du Secrétariat polaire belge, les équipes de l’IPF y poussent sans arrêt la recherche et préparent l’implémentation de nouveaux projets liés entre autres à l’hydrogène et à un nouveau système ultra-performant de traitement des eaux. 

En plus d'accueillir plus de 50 scientifiques et membres d’équipe cette saison, la station est donc également le centre névralgique pour les tests du Venturi Antarctica. Le véhicule électrique de Venturi sera un atout supplémentaire pour la station Princess Elisabeth Antarctica dans le cadre de sa mission de soutien de la recherche climatique effectuée par les nombreuses équipes scientifiques.

Antarctica est la synthèse de l’expertise technologique de Venturi. Les équipes du département Recherche & Développement – déjà à la manœuvre sur les records du monde de vitesse de Voxan et Venturi – ont imaginé un véhicule unique au monde. Avec ses banquettes longitudinales rabattables, il peut embarquer de 1 à 6 personnes, du matériel et même une seconde batterie afin de prolonger l’autonomie initiale de 50 kilomètres, sous des températures allant jusqu’à -50°C. [Dossier de presse téléchargeable ici]

« Il y a 12 ans presque jour pour jour, S.A.S. le Prince Albert II de Monaco, revenant d’un voyage en Antarctique, me faisait part du fait que les stations de recherche scientifique ne disposaient pas de véhicules non-polluants. Par le biais de la Fondation Prince Albert II, Venturi s’est alors vue confier la mission d’apporter une solution zéro émission permettant l’accès aux zones d’études scientifiques. A l’époque, en 2009, aucune technologie ne permettait d’évoluer sur terrain accidenté par -50°C. Cette 3ème version d’Antarctica est aujourd’hui optimale. Mes équipes et moi sommes fiers d’offrir ce véhicule à l’International Polar Foundation ». - Gildo Pastor, Président de Venturi.

Alain Hubert, fondateur et président de l’International Polar Foundation : « La collaboration avec Venturi démontre que trouver des solutions variées aux problèmes climatiques est à la portée de toute organisation. La mission de notre fondation et de la station belge Princess Elisabeth Antarctica est très claire : offrir aux scientifiques l’opportunité d’effectuer leurs recherches en Antarctique depuis une base performante tout en étant zéro-émission. Le « Venturi Antarctica » s’inscrit entièrement dans cette vision. Il ouvre une nouvelle ère pour la logistique opérationnelle antarctique dans le cadre du respect du Protocole de Madrid signé en 1992. Protocole environnemental invitant les Parties du Traité antarctique à constamment améliorer la gestion environnementale des opérations. Les essais effectués à ce jour sont très concluants et nous sommes ravis de pouvoir continuer à participer à l’amélioration des performances énergétiques de ce véhicule au profit de la science." 
 
Des photos du Venturi Antarctica sont disponible sous la rubrique "Press Pictures" de notre site.

A propos de la International Polar Foundation (IPF) : L’IPF est une fondation d’utilité publique créée en 2002. Elle a comme mission le soutien de la recherche scientifique polaire internationale. Elle est également à l’initiative de la station antarctique Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, inaugurée en 2007 en tant que première et - à ce jour - seule station « zéro émission », en vue de préserver la présence antarctique belge et d’en poursuivre l’ambition au service des citoyens confrontés aux défis climatiques et environnementaux. 
La station belge Princess Elisabeth Antarctica accueille chaque année de nombreux scientifiques de toutes nationalités. 

A propos du Groupe Venturi : Depuis 2000, le Groupe VENTURI est spécialisé dans la conception et la fabrication de véhicules électriques hautes performances. Que ce soit au travers de records mondiaux, d’expéditions en terrains hostiles, de la création de la première voiture de sport électrique, du développement de véhicules innovants ou bien encore de son implication en championnat du monde de Formule Électrique, le Groupe VENTURI incarne et démontre toutes les capacités du véhicule électrique sur 2 roues ou 4 roues.
 
Contacts International Polar Foundation

Joseph Cheek 
Project Manager & Communication Officer
jcheek@polarfoundation.org
P: +32 (0) 2 520 34 40
www.polarfoundation.org

Nicolas Van Hoecke
Managing Director
nicolas.vanhoecke@polarfoundation.org
P: +32 (0) 2 520 34 40
M: +32 (0) 478 90 71 76
www.polarfoundation.org

Follow us : 
Facebook : facebook.com/intpolarfoundation
Instagram : instagram.com/international_polar_foundation/
Tiktok: @int.polarfoundation
Twitter : twitter.com/polarfoundation

Visit us : 
www.polarfoundation.org

Contact Venturi
Mr Fabrice BROUWERS
Responsable Communication 
M: +33 (0)6 40 61 00 80
@: fbrouwers@venturi.com
www.venturi.com

Nederlandse versie
 

HET BELGISCHE PRINCESS ELISABETH ANTARCTICA STATION TEST DE VENTURI ANTARCTICA 

Brussel, 17 december 2021 - Het Princess Elisabeth Antarctica-station verwelkomt het Venturi-team en de Venturi Antarctica, het eerste elektrische polaire verkenningsvoertuig. Sinds 10 december beschikken de teams van het Belgische zero-emissie station over een ecologisch vervoermiddel voor haar wetenschappelijke missies. Dit is een wereldprimeur: nooit eerder werd er met een elektrisch rupsvoertuig op Antarctica gereden.

Op 5 juni, naar aanleiding van de Dag voor het milieu, presenteerde Venturi de fabrikant uit Monaco de nieuwe Antarctica aan ZM Prins Albert II van Monaco. Sinds vorige week stelt het electrisch voertuig de wetenschappers van het poolstation Princess Elisabeth Antarctica in staat om in Oost-Antarctica rond te trekken. Dankzij de Venturi Antarctica wordt het ecosysteem zoveel als mogelijk ongerept gelaten.

Tijdens de eerste week in gebruik, maakte de Antarctica het mogelijk om verschillende wetenschappelijke missies uit te voeren. Bij deze missies behoren het onderhoud van verschillende autonome meteorologische observatiestations of van het nieuwe Belgische atmosferische observatiestation op het Antarctische plateau op 2300m hoogte. Dankzij dit nieuwe type voertuig kon dit worden uitgevoerd zonder bijkomend effect op het milieu. Tijdens deze missies werden ook temperatuurmetingen van het sneeuwoppervlak gemaakt als validatie van satellietmetingen.

Deze nieuwe versie van de Venturi Antarctica maakte het ook mogelijk om een ​​reddingsoperatie te simuleren waarbij een persoon uit de bodem van een gletsjerspleet gehaald wordt.

De capaciteiten van de Venturi Antarctica zijn in lijn met de milieu-visie en -aanpak van het Princess Elisabeth Antarctica-station. Dit station is het eerste en tot op heden het enige emissievrije station op het Antarctische continent. Als operator en partner van het Belgisch Poolsecretariaat voeren de IPF-teams voortdurend diepgaand onderzoek en bereiden ze reeds de implementatie voor van nieuwe ontwerpen waaronder een waterstof-gerelateerde project en een nieuw high-performance systeem voor de afvalwaterzuivering.

Naast het verwelkomen van meer dan 50 wetenschappers en teamleden, is het station nu ook een belangrijke schakel voor de tests van de Venturi Antarctica. Het elektrische voertuig van Venturi zal een extra troef zijn voor het Princess Elisabeth Antarctica-station om klimaatonderzoekmissies van de vele wetenschappelijke teams te ondersteunen.

Antarctica is de synthese van Venturi's technologische expertise. De R&D teams - die al werken aan de wereldsnelheidsrecords van Voxan en Venturi - hebben een uniek voertuig ontworpen. Met opklapbare langsbanken kan de Antarctica 1 tot 6 personen, materiaal en een tweede batterij vervoeren, om zo het oorspronkelijke bereik van 50 kilometer te vergroten, en dit bij temperaturen tot -50 ° C.

“12 jaar geleden, toen hij terugkeerde van een reis naar Antarctica, vertelde ZM Prins Albert me dat wetenschappelijke onderzoeksstations geen emissievrije voertuigen hadden. Via de Prince Albert II Foundation kreeg Venturi vervolgens de opdracht om een ​​emissievrije oplossing te ontwikkelen. Destijds, in 2009, was er geen technologische oplossing om op ruw terrein bij -50°C te rijden. Deze 3e versie van Antarctica is nu optimaal. Mijn teams en ik zijn trots dit voertuig te schenken aan de International Polar Foundation." - Gildo Pastor, voorzitter van Venturi.

Alain Hubert, oprichter en voorzitter van de International Polar Foundation: “De samenwerking met Venturi toont aan dat het ontwikkelen van oplossingen voor klimaatproblemen binnen het bereik van elke organisatie ligt.

De missie van onze stichting en van het Belgische Princess Elisabeth Antarctica-station is heel duidelijk: wetenschappers de kans bieden om hun onderzoek op Antarctica uit te voeren vanuit een performante emissie-vrije basis. De "Venturi Antarctica" past helemaal in deze visie. Het opent een nieuw tijdperk voor de operationele logistiek op Antarctica in het kader van de naleving van het in 1992 ondertekende Protocol van Madrid. Dit milieuprotocol nodigt de partijen van het Antarctisch Verdrag uit om het milieubeheer van operaties voortdurend te verbeteren.

De tests met Venturi zijn tot nu toe zeer succesvol verlopen en we zijn verheugd dat we kunnen blijven bijdragen tot het verbeteren van de brandstofefficiëntie van dit voertuig ten voordele van de wetenschap."

U kunt foto's van de Venturi Antarctica downloaden via de rubriek "persfoto's" van deze website.

Meer informatie over de International Polar Foundation (IPF): De IPF is een stichting van openbaar nut dat in 2002 werd opgericht. De missie van IPF bestaat erin internationaal poolwetenschappelijk onderzoek te steunen. De stichting ligt ook aan de basis van het Princess Elisabeth Antarctica-station dat in 2007 werd ingehuldigd als het eerste en tot op heden enige "zero emissie"-station, met het oog op het behoud van het Belgische aanwezigheid op Antarctica ten dienste van burgers steeds meer geconfronteerd met klimaat- en milieu-uitdagingen. Het Belgische Princess Elisabeth-station Antarctica verwelkomt jaarlijks vele wetenschappers van alle nationaliteiten.

Meer informatie over Venturi Group: Sinds 2000 is de VENTURI Group gespecialiseerd in het ontwerpen en fabriceren van hoogwaardige elektrische voertuigen. Wereldrecords, expedities in vijandig terrein, het ontwikkelen van de eerste elektrische sportwagen, de ontwikkeling van innovatieve voertuigen of zelfs zijn betrokkenheid bij het Formula Electric wereldkampioenschap, de VENTURI Group belichaamt en demonstreert al wat twee- of vierwielige electrische voertuigen toe in staat zijn.

Contacts International Polar Foundation

Joseph Cheek 
Project Manager & Communication Officer
jcheek@polarfoundation.org
P: +32 (0) 2 520 34 40
www.polarfoundation.org

Nicolas Van Hoecke
Managing Director
nicolas.vanhoecke@polarfoundation.org
P: +32 (0) 2 520 34 40
M: +32 (0) 478 90 71 76
www.polarfoundation.org

Follow us : 
Facebook : facebook.com/intpolarfoundation
Instagram : instagram.com/international_polar_foundation/
Tiktok: @int.polarfoundation
Twitter : twitter.com/polarfoundation

Visit us : 
www.polarfoundation.org

Contact Venturi
Mr Fabrice BROUWERS
Head Communications
M: +33 (0)6 40 61 00 80
@: fbrouwers@venturi.com
www.venturi.com

Brussels, 21st January 2021

In a decision handed down on the 5th of January 2021, the Chambre du Conseil of Brussels definitively dismissed all charges of conflict of interest against Alain Hubert and the International Polar Foundation.

The charges were lodged in December 2013 by the former Director of the Belgian Science Policy Office, who challenged the appointment of Alain Hubert as President of the Polar Secretariat, and contested the participation of the International Polar Foundation in the Public-Private Partnership embodied by the Polar Secretariat.

The Court held that neither the Polar Foundation nor Alain Hubert could be considered as having profited personally from these appointments.

In its judgment, the Court upheld the conformity with the law of the partnership agreements signed between the Belgian State and the International Polar Foundation in 2007 and 2009. This finding is in line with the decision of the Council of State (the highest administrative Court in Belgium), handed down in June 2017.

The Court found that due to the various checks and balances exercised by the public administration, Alain Hubert would have at no time been able to promote his private interests as President and member of the Polar Secretariat. At no point was the public interest harmed, and the Court maintained that there is no evidence of a conflict of interest. In reality, the Foundation has carried on with the tasks entrusted to it by the State since 2009, demonstrating the working collaboration between the parties.

The International Polar Foundation and Alain Hubert have welcomed the decision of the Courts, bringing as it does to a close a long period of unfounded attacks on the honesty and integrity of the Foundation.

The Foundation wishes to thank all those in both the private and public sector who have shown their confidence and offered support to the IPF during all these years.

The IPF is a public utility foundation created in 2002 by Alain Hubert in conjunction with renowned academic scientists, with the intention of advancing the cause of polar sciences internationally. The Princess Elisabeth Antarctica Station, the first “zero emission” research station in Antarctica, is a flagship project of the IPF. The reinforcing of the Belgian presence in Antarctica and the support for research that ensued are key objectives of the IPF in promoting sustainable development through showcasing Belgian and European engineering and scientific excellence as well as being at the service of citizens.

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L’ordonnance de la Chambre du conseil  ne retient aucune charge contre Alain Hubert et la Fondation Polaire Internationale (IPF)

Communiqué de presse

Bruxelles, 21 janvier 2021.

En date du 5 janvier 2021, la Chambre du conseil du Tribunal de Bruxelles a prononcé un non- lieu contre l’ensemble des préventions requises par le ministère public contre Alain Hubert et la Fondation polaire internationale.

Les procédures avaient été engagées en décembre 2013 par l’ancien directeur de l’administration de la Politique scientifique fédérale, celui-ci contestant la nomination d’Alain Hubert comme Président du Secrétariat polaire, ainsi que la participation d’IPF au partenariat public-privé au sein du Secrétariat polaire.

Faisant référence à l’arrêt rendu en 2017 par le Conseil d’État, qui consacre la légalité des accords de partenariat entre l’État belge et la Fondation Polaire, la Chambre du Conseil établit le respect par Alain Hubert et l’IPF de ce cadre, conformément à la volonté du législateur.

Elle ajoute qu’en raison des différents contrôles exercés par l’administration publique, Alain Hubert « n’a pas pu favoriser ses intérêts privés »*, tant comme président que membre du Secrétariat polaire. Elle établit également que « l’intérêt public n’a pas été lésé »*, et que rien ne démontre « qu’Alain Hubert ait recherché un enrichissement personnel »*.

La Fondation polaire internationale et Alain Hubert se réjouissent de cette décision de justice. Elle confirme leur permanente loyauté aux accords conclus avec le gouvernement belge, et donne raison à leur inlassable protestation d’innocence.

La Fondation polaire internationale remercie une nouvelle fois l’ensemble de ses collaborateurs et partenaires de la Fondation, ainsi que les personnalités, tant privées que publiques, qui n’ont pas manqué au long de ces années de manifester leur confiance et soutien.

L’IPF est une fondation d’utilité publique créée en 2002 par Alain Hubert avec des personnalités scientifiques du monde académique. Elle a comme mission le soutien de la recherche scientifique polaire internationale. Elle est également à l’initiative de la station antarctique Princess Elisabeth, première station « zéro émission », en vue de préserver la présence antarctique belge et d’en poursuivre l’ambition au service des citoyens confrontés aux défis climatiques et environnementaux.

*Extrait de l’Ordonnance de la Chambre du Conseil du 05/01/2021.

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Beschikking van de Raadkamer van de Rechtbank van Eerste Aanleg: volledige buitenvervolgingstelling in voordeel van Alain Hubert en de International Polar Foundation (IPF)

Persbericht

Brussel, 21 januari 2021

Op 5 januari 2021 heeft de Raadkamer van de Rechtbank van Eerste Aanleg te Brussel een beschikking van buitenvervolgingstelling uitgesproken. Alle aanklachten van het openbaar ministerie werden afgewezen.

De procedure werd in december 2013 ingeleid door de voormalige directeur van de Federale Overheidsdienst Wetenschapsbeleid. Toen betwistte hij de benoeming van Alain Hubert tot voorzitter van het Poolsecretariaat, alsook het partnerschap tussen de IPF en de Belgische Staat binnen het Poolsecretariaat.

Verwijzing naar het arrest van de Raad van State dd. 9 juni 2017, waarin de wettigheid van de partnerschapsovereenkomsten tussen de Belgische Staat en IPF werd vastgelegd, doet de Raadkamer besluiten dat het wettelijke kader alsook de wil van de wetgever door IPF en Alain Hubert werden gehonoreerd. Daarnaast verklaarde zij dat, door het bestaan van het overheidstoezicht en de verschillende door overheidsdiensten uitgevoerde controles, Alain Hubert “zijn privébelangen als voorzitter en lid van het Poolsecretariaat niet kon bevoordelen”*. Ze stelde ook vast dat “het algemeen belang niet aangetast werd”* en dat er “geen bewijs aangeleverd kon worden betreffende het nastreven van persoonlijke verrijking door Alain Hubert”*.

IPF en Alain Hubert verheugen zich op deze beslissing van de Raadkamer. Het bevestigt hun bestendige loyaliteit aan de overeenkomsten die met de Belgische regering werden aangegaan en geeft hun gelijk in het volhouden van hun herhaalde bewering van onschuld. 

De International Polar Foundation wil nogmaals alle medewerkers en partners van de Stichting bedanken, evenals de publieke en private persoonlijkheden die in de loop der jaren hun vertrouwen en steun hebben getoond.

IPF is een Stichting van openbaar nut, opgericht in 2002 door Alain Hubert met wetenschappelijke persoonlijkheden uit de academische wereld. Haar missie is het ondersteunen van internationaal poolwetenschappelijk onderzoek. Ook was IPF initiatiefneemster van het station Princess Elisabeth op Antarctica, het eerste «zero emission» station, met het oog op het behoud van de Belgische Antarctische aanwezigheid en het nastreven van haar ambitie om burgers die met klimaat- en milieu -uitdagingen te maken hebben ten dienste te staan.

*Vrij vertaling van uittreksels van de beschikking van de Raadkamer dd. 5 januari 2021.

Passionate about discovering the world, Philippe Bodson travelled extensively during his life, most notably with Alan Hubert, with whom Philippe shared many expeditions and a steadfast friendship. 

Engaged in exploring the most cutting-edge innovation through the many companies he developed, and convinced of the importance of polar science in better understanding our climate, Philippe got involved in the International Polar Foundation right from its establishment in 2002.

He joined the Strategic Council of the Polar Secretariat upon its creation in 2009, and was its vice-president for five years.

He became and administrator for the International Polar Foundation in 2010 and had been one of the Foundation's pillars ever since.

An unwavering supporter of the Foundation during its most difficult years (2015-2017), Philippe personally invested himself in all mediation meetings with the Belgian Government. This allowed for a new agreement to be established with the government in order to ensure that the Princess Elisabeth Station could continue to help broaden the influence of Belgian polar science.

In spite of his many commitments, Philippe was always there for the Foundation to share his vision, his enthusiasm, and his advice.

His passing leaves a large hole in the Foundation. However his energy, his vision, and his sense of duty remain the basis upon which the Foundation shall continue its mission, in particular to achieve excellence in its mission as Operator of the Princess Elisabeth Station in Antarctica.

About Philippe Bodson

Baron Philippe André Eugène Bodson was a Belgian businessman and politician who had a long career, which included positions such as CEO of Glaverbel and Director of Fortis Bank. He also served in the Belgian Senate from 1999 to 2003 as a member of the Movement reformateur party.  In addition, he served on the Board of many organisations, including the Board of the International Polar Foundation.

He held a degree in civil engineering from the University of Liège (ULg) and a Master of Business Administration from INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France.

About the International Polar Foundation

The International Polar Foundation supports polar scientific research for the advancement of knowledge, the promotion of informed action on climate change, and the development of a sustainable society.

Founded by Belgian polar explorer Alain Hubert, Prof. Hugo Decleir and Prof. André Berger in 2002, the Brussels-based International Polar Foundation provides a novel interface between science and society, and was recognised by Belgian Royal Statute as a foundation for the public good in 2002. HM King Philippe is the International Polar Foundation's honorary president.

The Foundation seeks to bring about a keener appreciation of the role of science, particularly research in the Polar Regions, through a re-examination of the planet’s interconnections, its fragility, the impact of human actions on the environment, and the evolution of millennial climate cycles.
 

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De International Polar Foundation eert de nagedachtenis van zijn oude vriend Philippe Bodson

De International Polar Foundation is bedroefd over het overlijden van zijn oude vriend Philippe Bodson op 4 april 2020, wegens complicaties in verband met COVID-19.

Philippe Bodson was altijd gepassioneerd van het ontdekken van de wereld en heeft tijdens zijn leven veel rondgereisd, vooral met Alain Hubert, met wie Philippe vele expedities en een vaste vriendschap deelde.

Vastbesloten bij het verkennen van de meest vooruitstrevende innovatie doorheen de verschillende bedrijven die hij stichtte, raakte Philippe vanaf de stichting in 2002 betrokken bij de International Polar Foundation.

Hij werd lid van de Strategische Raad van het Polair Secretariaat bij zijn oprichting in 2009 en was vijf jaar lang ondervoorzitter van deze raad.

Hij werd beheerder van de International Polar Foundation in 2010 en was sindsdien een van de pijlers van de Stichting.

Als overtuigd voorstander van de Stichting investeerde Philippe tijdens de moeilijkste jaren (2015-2017) zich persoonlijk in alle bemiddelingsgesprekken met de Belgische regering. Zo kon een nieuwe overeenkomst worden gesloten om ervoor te zorgen dat het Princess Elisabeth-station de invloed van de Belgische poolwetenschap kon blijven vergroten.

Ondanks zijn vele engagementen was Philippe er altijd voor de Stichting om zijn visie, zijn enthousiasme en zijn advies te delen.

Zijn overlijden laat een grote leegte achter in de Stichting. Zijn energie, zijn visie en zijn plichtsbesef blijven echter de basis waarop de Stichting haar missie zal voortzetten, in het bijzonder om uitmuntendheid te bereiken in haar missie als uitbater van het Princess Elisabeth-station op Antarctica.

Over Philippe Bodson

Baron Philippe André Eugène Bodson was een Belgische zakenman en politicus met een lange carrière, waaronder functies als CEO van Glaverbel en directeur van Fortis Bank. Hij was van 1999 tot 2003 ook lid van de Belgische Senaat als lid van de Mouvement réformateur-partij. Daarnaast was hij lid van het raad van bestuur van vele organisaties, waaronder het raad van bestuur van de International Polar Foundation.

Hij behaalde een diploma burgerlijk ingenieur aan de Universiteit van Luik (ULg) en een Master of Business Administration aan INSEAD in Fontainebleau, Frankrijk.

Over de International Polar Foundation

De International Polar Foundation ondersteunt pool wetenschappelijk onderzoek voor de bevordering van kennis, de bevordering van geïnformeerde maatregelen inzake klimaatverandering en de ontwikkeling van een duurzame samenleving.

Opgericht door de Belgische poolonderzoeker Alain Hubert, prof. Hugo Decleir en prof. André Berger in 2002, biedt de in Brussel gevestigde International Polar Foundation een nieuwe interface tussen wetenschap en samenleving, en werd erkend door het Belgisch Koninklijk Besluit als een stichting van openbare nut in 2002. Zijne Majesteit Koning Filip is de erevoorzitter van de International Polar Foundation.

The International Polar Foundation streeft naar een grotere waardering van de rol van wetenschap, in het bijzonder onderzoek in de poolgebieden, door een heronderzoek van de onderlinge verbindingen van de planeet, haar kwetsbaarheid, de impact van menselijk handelen op het milieu en de evolutie van de millennium klimaat cycli.

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La Fondation Polaire Internationale honore la mémoire de son ami de longue date, Philippe Bodson

La Fondation Polaire Internationale est très peinée d'apprendre le décès de son ami de longue date, Philippe Bodson, le 4 avril 2020 en raison de complications liées au COVID-19.

Passionné par la découverte continue du monde, il l’a arpenté dans tous ses recoins notamment avec Alain Hubert, avec qui il a réalisé plusieurs expéditions et lié une amitié indéfectible.

Engagé dans l'exploration des innovations les plus pointes à travers de nombreuses sociétés qui les développaient et convaincu de l'importance de la science polaire dans l’explication des questions climatiques, il s'est investi aux côtés de la Fondation Polaire Internationale dès 2002.

Il a rejoint le Conseil stratégique du secrétariat polaire lors de sa création en 2009 et en était depuis 5 ans le vice- président.

Il est devenu administrateur de la Fondation polaire internationale en 2010 et en était depuis un des piliers.

Infatigable supporter de la Fondation pendant les années difficiles 2015-2017, il s'est investi personnellement dans toutes les réunions de médiation qui ont permis le succès d'un nouvel accord entre l'État belge et la Fondation pour assurer la pérennité de la station Princess Elisabeth et renforcer le rayonnement de la science polaire belge.

Malgré tous ses multiples engagements, il était toujours là aux côtés de la Fondation pour partager sa vision, son enthousiasme et ses conseils. 

Sa disparition laisse un grand vide dans la Fondation mais son énergie, son charisme, sa vision et son sens du devoir resteront les bases sur lesquelles la Fondation continuera à poursuivre sa mission et en particulier la recherche de l'excellence dans sa mission d'opérateur de la station Princess Elisabeth en Antarctique.

À propos de Philippe Bodson

Le baron Philippe André Eugène Bodson était un homme d'affaires et homme politique belge qui a eu une longue carrière comprenant des postes tels que PDG de Glaverbel et administrateur de Fortis Banque. Il a également siégé au Sénat belge de 1999 à 2003 en tant que membre du Mouvement Réformateur. De plus, il a siégé au conseil d'administration de nombreuses organisations, dont celui de la Fondation Polaire Internationale.

Il était titulaire d'un diplôme d'ingénieur civil de l'Université de Liège (ULg) et d'un Master of Business Administration de l'INSEAD de Fontainebleau, France.

À propos de la Fondation Polaire Internationale

La Fondation Polaire Internationale soutient la recherche scientifique polaire pour l'avancement des connaissances et la promotion d'une action éclairée sur le changement climatique ainsi que le développement d'une société durable.

Fondée à l'initiative de l'explorateur polaire Alain Hubert et des professeurs André Berger et Hugo Decleir en 2002, La Fondation Polaire Internationale, basée à Bruxelles, fournit une nouvelle interface entre la science et la société. Elle a été reconnue par arrêté royal comme Fondation d'utilité publique en 2020. Sa Majesté le Roi Philippe en est le président honoraire.

La Fondation vise à mieux faire comprendre le rôle de la science, en particulier la recherche dans les régions polaires, à travers un réexamen des interconnexions de la planète, de sa fragilité, de l'impact des actions humaines sur l'environnement et de l'évolution millénaire des cycles climatiques.

Contact:

Email: press@polarfoundation.org
Phone: + 32 (0)2 520 34 40

www.polarfoundation.org
 

Antarctica and its role in the Earth System
Along with loss of biodiversity, global sea level rise is one of the most alarming consequences of climate change. The Antarctic Ice Sheet, which holds the largest frozen fresh water reserves on the planet, could be one of the largest contributors to global sea level rise, should a significant portion of its ice melt. This is why it is essential to study how the ice sheet’s mass has evolved over time and how fast it might be losing ice.

In service to science
These are exactly the questions that the Mass2Ant project - which has been developed by glaciologists from the Université Libre de Bruxelles (Free University of Brussels - ULB) and modellers from the Université catholique de Louvain (Catholic University of Louvain- UCLouvain), the Belgian Royal Institute of Meteorology, Delft University of Technology, and the University of Colorado Boulder (UC Boulder) - have been trying to answer over the last several seasons in Antarctica.

Similar to previous seasons, the mission of the scientists was carried out in a coastal region (Princess Ragnhild Coast) situated 200 km from the Princess Elisabeth Station. In this region, one can find many ice shelves (structures formed by ice from the Antarctic Ice Sheet that flows off of the continent and out over the sea). However, how these ice shelves have changed over time is little understood, an issue that the scientists of the Mass2Ant project are trying to resolve by looking at the ice rises nearby. Ice rises are small individual ice domes built on submarine bedrock highs. They often interfere with ice shelves at their margin, but have their own simple flow, which makes them ideal paleoclimatic “dipsticks”.

A team from the International Polar Foundation, operator of the Belgian station, accompanied the scientists on their trip to the coast, providing them with the technical and logistical support they needed to extract a 260 metre ice core, the longest well-preserved ice core the project has been able to obtain in one season from an ice rise. The team used a fluid developed specifically for deep ice core drilling, which prevents the ice cores from being damaged (a common problem researchers can encounter when they drill deep ice cores). While it was a challenging technical feat to accomplish, the scientists were happy with the result of the team’s efforts.

500 years of climate history
With the 260 metre ice core they were able to extract (about half of the depth of the 560 metre-deep ice rise), glaciologists will be able to analyse more than 500 years of climate history from this remote region of the coast of East Antarctica, including the transition to the Anthropocene, and the rise of man-induced climate changes. This will make it possible to reconstruct past climate in the region, which will in turn contribute to modelling present and future climate change, including sea level rise.

For more information, or to receive photos, please contact us at: office@polarfoundation.org ; comms@polarfoundation.org
or at:+32 (0)2 520 34 40

You are also encouraged to have a look at a related interview with Prof. Jean-Louis Tison from the ULB Glaciology Laboratory on the International Polar Foundation Website. You are welcome to cite text from it, as long as you give full attribution.

Photo  ©Mass2Ant Project. ULB Glaciologist Prof. Jean-Louis Tison poses with a section of the 260 metre ice core taken at the Princess Ragnhild Coast in East Antarctica

Dr. Winter was selected after an independent peer review process, which recommended  Dr. Winter for the proposed project which was found to meet the objectives of scientific excellence.This exceptional young British polar scientist will conduct research at Princess Elisabeth, the Belgian Zero Emissions Research station in East Antarctica.

The project which involves undertaking cutting edge geomorphological research around the Belgian Princess Elizabeth station operational area will contribute to advancing the diversity of the research being carried out in the region. Her proposal will contribute particularly to understanding the transport of nutrients in sediments from inland areas of the Antarctic to the Southern Ocean. This goal will fill a gap in scientific investigation of ice sheets, and ocean fertilisation processes.

‘I am delighted and honoured to win the Baillet Latour Antarctic Fellowship. The Fonds Baillet Latour and the International Polar Foundation are giving me a unique opportunity to establish myself in a highly competitive international field. The award will allow me to conduct research in East Antarctica, one of the worlds most remote and extreme environments. It will enable me to answer important science questions that early career researchers are often not given the chance to solve.’ Dr. Kate Winter, Northumbria University

In December 2018, Dr. Winter will travel to Princess Elisabeth to begin her fieldwork. Her research will focus on the contribution of ice flow to the uptake of carbon dioxide by the Southern Ocean. She will use recent advances in terrestrial laser scanning, structure-from-motion photogrammetry and ice penetrating radar to assess how sediment sources of iron are transferred through the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. She will examine the contribution of these sediments to marine productivity in the Southern Ocean, a process which can reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide. Her research may provide important knowledge on how Antarctica is playing a role in future global climate change.

More information about BioFe will be available over the next two years on: www.polarfoundation.org

Baillet Latour Antarctica Fellowship

The Baillet Latour Antarctica Fellowship is a joint initiative between the International Polar Foundation and the Baillet Latour Fund. This award promotes science and scientific excellence in Antarctica through young research scientists. The fellowship, worth € 150 000, recognizes the importance of science carried out in Antarctica for improving the understanding of Earth, and encourages scientific research at, or close to the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica polar research station.

This press release is also available in Dutch and French.

The Baillet Latour Antarctica Fellowship award is a joint initiative between the Baillet Latour Fund and the International Polar Foundation. Its aim is to promote scientific excellence and support a young researcher wishing to conduct scientific research at or in the vicinity of Princess Elisabeth Antarctica research station. With climate change representing an important challenge for society, such research is crucial in our quest for understanding how our planet and its climate system functions.

The call is open to doctoral or post-doctoral students from any country in the world within 10 years of completing their PhD and working in the following disciplines: (1) atmospheric sciences (2) geology (3) glaciology and (4) microbiology (excluding marine microbiology).  

This edition of the award will allow the winning candidate to carry out two field campaigns based at Princess Elisabeth station during the Antarctic summer seasons of November 2018 - February 2019 and November 2019 - February 2020.

More information and how to apply: www.polarfoundation.org/projects/detail/baillet_latour_fellowship   

DEADLINE: 15 MAY 2018 (midnight CET)

Winning Laureate will be announced in fall 2018

PDF versions of this press release are available in ENGLISH / FLEMISH / FRENCH

INTERNATIONAL POLAR FOUNDATION

The International Polar Foundation supports polar scientific research for the advancement of knowledge, the promotion of informed action on climate change, and the development of a sustainable society.

www.polarfoundation.org / www.antarcticstation.org

BAILLET LATOUR FUND

The Baillet Latour Fund was established in 1974 on the initiative of Count Alfred de Baillet Latour. Its aim is to promote, encourage and reward excellence, principally in Belgium, by focusing its work on people. For over 40 years, the Fund has sought to support initiatives that are remarkable for their influence, the excellence they inspire or their innovative approach to meeting the challenges faced by tomorrow’s society. Its support generates concrete spin-offs with specific future benefits in four areas: health, education, culture and sport.

www.fondsbailletlatour.com  

MORE INFORMATION                  

Antarctica Fellowship Secretariat: fellowship@polarfoundation.org

Brussels, Belgium, 30 June 2017

Belgian Secretary of State for Science, Mme Zuhal Demir, and Alain Hubert, Founder and President of the International Polar Foundation, hosted a Press conference on Friday, 30 June 2017, to publicly announce a new agreement regarding the management and operations of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, the world’s first ever “zero emission” research station.

The agreement follows three months of intense negotiations between the the Belgian State and the International Polar Foundation aimed at resolving disagreements over the management of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica which have been going on since 2015. The signing of the new agreement is a positive step forward in re-establishing the public-private partnership that led to the environmentally friendly research station being built.

Key outcomes of the new agreement:

• The International Polar Foundation has made a full donation of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica to the Belgian State, making the Belgian state the sole owner of the research station (the International Polar Foundation has therefore relinquished its ownership of the station, as initially intended under the Convention signed with the Belgian State in 2007).
• The International Polar Foundation will be responsible for the management, maintenance, supervision and security of scientific missions undertaken at the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica for the next six years. This partnership agreement has the potential to be extended for three additional years. All pending legal proceedings between the the Belgian State and the International Polar Foundation have been terminated.
• All previous agreements and conventions between the the Belgian State and the International Polar Foundation will be annulled, including the Partnership Convention of 2007, the original act of donation from the International Polar Foundation to the Belgian State (the Partnership Protocol) of 2010, and the Belgian Law of 24 July 2008, all of which had previously set out the terms and conditions of ownership and operation of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica.
• An international non-profit organisation comprised of members from the public sector and controlled by the Belgian State will replace the existing public private partnership vehicle called the Polar Secretariat, which has until now been responsible for managing the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica.
• A scientific committee (composed of scientists from the Belgian Antarctic Research Committee and Belgian institutions) will be set up under the new international non-profit organisation to advise on scientific research undertaken at the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica.

Thanks to the renewed trust and cooperation that has been forged between the two parties with this new agreement, Belgium will once again be fully active in international collaborative scientific research in Antarctica.

“We have pressed the ‘reset’ button so we can start on a blank page. Good agreements and good discussions make good friends. I do not look to the past, but to the future, and the future is scientific research.” Zuhal Demir, Belgian Secretary of State for Science Policy.

“Our integrity was restored by justice. Having a minister with a sense of the rule of law is fundamental to a democracy for the general good. We now have a minister who shows true leadership!” Alain Hubert, Founder and President, International Polar Foundation.

Since its inauguration during the International Polar Year 2007-2009, the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica research station has served as a unique research platform allowing scientists from over a dozen nations to significantly reduce their carbon footprint while conducting research in Antarctica - a region critical for the study and improved understanding of climate change.

Princess Elizabeth Antarctica research station:

The International Polar Foundation and its private partners conceived of and built the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica (PEA). Located in the Dronning Maud Land region of East Antarctica, it is the first polar research station designed to run entirely on renewable energy sources (wind and solar). The station has been operational since the 2008-09 Antarctic research season

www.antarcticstation.org

About Alain Hubert and the International Polar Foundation:

Alain Hubert, Founder and President of the International Polar Foundation, is a civil engineer by training and certified mountain guide (UIAGM), entrepreneur, and polar explorer. Alain founded The International Polar Foundation in 2002 in order to support polar scientific research for the advancement of knowledge, the promotion of informed action on climate change, and the development of a sustainable society.

www.polarfoundation.org

Press contacts:

Joseph Cheek: joseph.cheek@polarfoundation.org

Simon Steffen: ssteffen@polarfoundation.org 

T: +32 2 520 34 40

Mysterious ‘crater’ on Antarctica indication of vulnerable ice sheet

The East Antarctic ice sheet appears to be more vulnerable than expected, due to a strong wind that brings warm air and blows away the snow. That is the conclusion reached by a team of climate researchers led by Jan Lenaerts (Utrecht University) and Stef Lhermitte (TU Delft), based on a combination of climate models, satellite observations and on-site measurements. Their conclusions will be published in Nature Climate Change on 12 December. “Tens of meters of rising sea levels are locked away in Antarctica”, says Lenaerts. “And our research has shown that also East Antarctica is vulnerable to climate change.”

Current IPCC projections show large uncertainties in Antarctica’s contribution to sea level rise, because the role of ice shelf processes remains uncertain. Lenaerts explains: “Little climate change is observable in East Antarctica, because the area is so isolated from the rest of the world.” However, to the researchers’ astonishment, the ice shelves in some regions of East Antarctica are melting faster than scientists had previously assumed. These ice shelves appear to be extremely sensitive to climate change.

Hotspots

Through a unique combination of field work, satellite data and a climate model, the researchers were able to explain why some parts of the East Antarctica ice shelves are melting so rapidly. This is because the strong and persistent wind transports warm, dry air to the region, and blows away the snow. This darkens the surface, which subsequently absorbs more of the sun’s heat. The result is a local warmer microclimate with a few literal ‘hotspots’. Because the ice shelf is floating in the ocean, its melting does not immediately contribute to sea level rise. However, the ice shelves around Antarctica are extremely important for ice sheet stability, because they hold back the land ice. If the ice shelves collapse, this land ice ends up in the ocean and consequently sea level will rise.

Mysterious crater

Part of the research conducted by Lenaerts and Lhermitte focused on a mysterious crater that was spotted on the King Baudoin ice shelf. “At the time, the media reported that it was probably a meteorite impact crater”, Lenaerts says. “My response was: in that area? Then it’s definitely not a meteorite; it’s proof of strong melting.”

In January 2016, the researchers visited the crater and discovered that it was a collapsed lake, with a moulin – a hole in the ice– which allowed the water to flow into the ocean. Lhermitte: “That was a huge surprise. Moulins typically are observed on Greenland. And we definitely never see them on an ice shelf.” Moreover, the researchers discovered that there were many meltwater lakes hidden under the surface of the ice, some of which were kilometres across. Underwater video images provide a clear image of the amount of meltwater present in the area.

Vulnerable

Is this a sign of climate change? “The crater isn’t new; we found it on satellite images from 1989. The amount of melt water differs immensely from year to year, but it clearly increases during warm years”, according to Lhermitte. Last year, an influential publication showed that Antarctica’s contribution to rising sea levels depends largely on the stability of these melting ice shelves. Lenaerts: “That study indicated that West Antarctica is extremely sensitive to climate change. But our research now suggests that the much larger East Antarctica ice sheet is also very vulnerable.”

This press release is also available in Flemish and French

Publication: http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nclimate3180.html#access

The study was financed by the Baillet Latour Antarctica Fellowship and is a collaborative effort by Utrecht University, TU Delft, KU Leuven, Université Libre de Bruxelles and the Alfred-Wegener-Institute.

The project was supported by the International Polar Foundation and the field work was carried out of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica Research Station at Utsteinen, East Antarctica.

International Polar Foundation

The International Polar Foundation supports polar scientific research for the advancement of knowledge, the promotion of informed action on climate change, and the development of a sustainable society.

www.polarfoundation.org  / www.antarcticstation.org

Baillet Latour Foundation

The Baillet Latour Foundation was established in 1974, on the initiative of Count Alfred de Baillet Latour. Its aim? To promote, encourage and reward excellence, principally in Belgium, by focusing its work on people.

For over 40 years, the Foundation has sought to support initiatives that are remarkable for their influence, the excellence they inspire or their innovative approach to meeting the challenges faced by tomorrow’s society.

Its support generates concrete spin-offs with specific future benefits in four areas: health, education, culture and sport.

www.fondsbailletlatour.com 

Contact the International Polar Foundation:

Joseph Cheek
Project Manager & Communications
joseph.cheek@polarfoundation.org

or 

Simon Steffen: ssteffen@polarfoundation.org