Arctic Temperature Alarm

Air temperature in the Arctic was -19.25°C on 2023-03-23. This is 0.15°C higher than 90th percentile of climatology period... READ MORE

Arctic Temperature Alarm

Air temperature in the Arctic was -19.28°C on 2023-03-22. This is 0.27°C higher than 90th percentile of climatology period... READ MORE

It’s now or never – IPCC 6th Assessment Report released today

Today the final synthesis of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s 6th Assessment Report cycle was released. This synthesis report restates that it is "now or never" to act, and that we are well on... READ MORE

Arctic sea ice maximum extent likely 5th lowest on record

Arctic sea ice has likely reached its maximum extent for the year, at 14.62 million square kilometres (5.64 million square miles) on March 6, according to scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at... READ MORE

Record-breaking cyclone brings further decimation to world’s #1 climate vulnerable country

Tropical cyclone Freddy is set to make more international records--including possibly one for the longest-lasting storm, later this... READ MORE

COUNTDOWN

CO2 Budget Depletion

ARCTIC CLIMATE CHANGE

AMPLIFIES A TOP GLOBAL RISK:

The WEF Global Risks Report Survey 2022 found leaders rank failure of climate action as the number one long-term threat to the world. The Arctic plays a key role in regulating the world’s climate and weather regimes - but it is warming at least three times faster than the rest of the world. The consequences go far beyond its borders!

NEW - Climate Vulnerability and the Arctic

Arctic warming amplifies existing threats to climate vulnerable countries around the world. Our new campaign focuses on regions including Africa, Asia, Europe, the Pacific, North America and the Caribbean and highlights how Arctic warming is related to global risks such as droughts, wildfires, food and water insecurity, sea level rise, cyclones and hurricanes.

What happens in the Arctic really doesn't stay there.
Is your country climate vulnerable?

NEW - Socio-Economic Indicators

There is growing scientific evidence that climate change leads to more severe, and more frequent, extreme weather events in most parts of the planet. These extreme events, coupled with rising atmospheric temperatures and moisture across the world, are some of the most obvious manifestations of climate change. It is well documented that increasingly hot and humid conditions – as measured by heat stress – adversely affect human health and work productivity. This has a negative impact on people’s livelihoods and wider economies.

See the indicators

SDGs and the Arctic

The Arctic plays a bigger role in the success of the 17 SDGs than has ever been considered. Loss of Arctic sea ice and snow cover drives global heating by 25-40%.

Warming in the Arctic causes impacts that extend far beyond its borders and carries significant economic costs. To achieve the SDGs we need the Arctic.
The Arctic & the SDGs

The Arctic is a climate early-warning system, and its alarms are flashing red:

The latest analysis paints a picture of rapidly unfolding environmental breakdown as a direct result of increases in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. Extreme warming, rapid sea ice loss, Greenland melt, and permafrost thaw are all triggering a cascade of risks in the rest of the world.
See the risk data

Arctic warming unleashes socio-economic risks across the world:

it contributes to rising sea levels, higher global temperatures and increasingly extreme weather. These physical changes worsen food and water insecurity, supply chain disruption, disease, heat stress and damage to infrastructure and ecosystems. Estimates of global socio-economic and ecological impacts linked with Arctic warming put a price tag of tens of billions USD per year over the coming decades.
Read global risks

Business and government must lead the way:

Comprehensive solutions exist to address climate change by cutting emissions and adapting to a changing climate. But there are no silver bullets or shortcuts in the fight against climate change. Citizen and consumer behaviour change alone will not be enough: state and economic actors will need to show real leadership and innovation.
Read solutions

Arctic breakdown is central to WEF’s 2022 agenda:

Arctic breakdown elevates risk far beyond its borders. The WEF meeting in Davos is a critical opportunity to align government policies and business strategies to collectively act to address climate change.
Read the report

ARCTIC RISK INDICATORS

The following gauges show up-to-date data regarding key indicators in the Arctic. These indicators clearly point to the crisis at hand.

Greenland rate of ice loss
4.5 hundred thousands l/s
on average in 1986-2015
4.5 tons per second
on average in 1986-2015
Worldwide number of disasters
265 disasters
more events in 2022 in comparison to 1970s
183 disasters
more events in 2022 in comparison to 1980s
100 disasters
more events in 2022 in comparison to 1990s
Arctic Sea Ice Extent
1,060,750 km²
below 1981-2010 average on 26-Mar-2023
409,555 mi²
below 1981-2010 average on 26-Mar-2023
Arctic Amplification
2.81 times
faster than global average in last 30 years
2.59 times
faster than global average in last 50 years
2.49 times
faster than global average in last 70 years
Arctic Wildfire emissions
0.19 megatonnes CO₂e
CO₂e emissions in 2023 so far
Arctic Air Quality (PM2.5)
2.72 microgram per cubic meter
on 21-Mar-2023