Europe’s polar research: a united call for stronger support
More than 40 coordinators of EU Polar Cluster projects have co-signed a joint letter to EU leaders and decision-makers. Representing the scientific, technical, and operational backbone of Europe’s polar research community, the Cluster highlights that changes in the Arctic and Antarctic have direct consequences for Indigenous peoples, Arctic residents, Europe, and the world, including:
- Rising sea levels, threatening coastlines and infrastructure
- More frequent extreme weather, including heatwaves and storms
- Biodiversity shifts, disrupting ecosystems and food systems
- Climate tipping points, such as ice-sheet loss and ocean circulation changes
- Permafrost thaw, releasing greenhouse gases and destabilizing landscapes
EU funding under previous Framework Programmes has enabled the Cluster to generate robust scientific evidence, feed into IPCC, and strengthen Europe’s voice in global negotiations, including COPs.
Looking ahead, FP10 offers a key opportunity to safeguard Europe’s leadership in polar research and innovation, maintain and expand critical research infrastructures and long-term observation networks, promote cross-disciplinary collaboration that links polar science to climate, biodiversity, energy, and resilience priorities, and deliver actionable, science-based knowledge to support European and global decision-making.
Continued investment in polar science is essential to ensure Europe remains prepared, resilient, and a global leader in understanding and responding to climate change.
Read the letter: