Confirmed: 2023 set to be the warmest year on record

The WMO provisional State of the Global Climate report confirms that 2023 is set to be the warmest year on record, regardless of the final two months of... READ MORE

Colossal Antarctic iceberg, five times larger than New York City, breaks free and drifts away from region

On November 24th, scientists from the Bristish Antarctic Survey (BAS) were astonished to observe an iceberg measuring around 4,000 square kilometers (more than twice the size of Greater London) drifting away from the... READ MORE

World surpasses critical warming threshold for the first time

On November 17th, global temperatures reached 2.07°C above pre-industrial levels for the first time on record.... READ MORE

Unexpected disintegration of ice shelves in North Greenland

Alarm bells ringing as rapid disintegration and weakening of ice shelves in North Greenland is observed!... READ MORE

Three Icebergs break off West Antarctica’s most Endangered Glacier

Images recently posted in the Arctic Sea Ice Forum reveal three significant breakups, or calving events, in mid-October on Pine Island Glacier’s floating ice shelf in West... 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!

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?

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.

Liters/sec tonnes/sec
Greenland rate of ice loss
13 million l/s
on average
13 million tonnes/s
on average
km² mi²
Arctic Sea Ice Extent
1,411,250 km²
below 1981-2010 average on 01-Dec-2023
544,883 mi²
below 1981-2010 average on 01-Dec-2023
warming rate
Arctic Amplification
4 times
faster than global average
MT
Arctic 66N+ Wildfire emissions
25,092.70 megatonnes CO₂e
CO₂e emissions in 2023 so far
μg/m³
Arctic Air Quality (PM2.5)
1.24 microgram per cubic meter
on 02-Dec-2023
rising rate
Global mean Sea Level
3.4mm/year
since 1993