09:00 - 11:00 CEST
Brussels, Belgium
📅 Date: 3rd June 2025 | 🕘 Time: 9:00–11:00 |📍Location: [TBC] European Parliament, Brussels, Belgium
Join us for a high-level event on policy needs for the Polar Regions, stemming from the research of four EU projects — PolarRES, CRiceS, PROTECT, and OCEAN ICE. We will discuss the rapid changes in the Arctic and Antarctic, and how these are reshaping Europe’s climate, coasts, and communities, as well as the specific policy measures needed to respond to these changes.
This event will bring together top scientists and policymakers to explore how polar research is essential for shaping evidence-based, future-ready climate policy in Europe and beyond.
The event is coordinated and supported by the MEP Group on Climate Change, Biodiversity & Sustainable Development, as well as the European Polar Board, EU Polar Cluster and European Polar Coordination Office.
🎯 Objective
The event will support dialogue between leading scientists and policymakers to discuss the policy measures required to respond to polar environmental changes, with a focus on mitigating climate risks and improving resilience. The programme will showcase the latest scientific findings and reinforce the need for evidence-based, forward-looking policy grounded in robust observations and inclusive knowledge systems.
📌 Draft Agenda:
09:00 – 09:15 | Arrival & Welcome
09:15 – 09:25 | Opening remarks by MEP TBD
09:25 – 10:00 | Scientific presentations by:
- PolarRES – Polar climate change in a global context (Priscilla Mooney)
- PROTECT – Sea level rise and ice sheets (Gaël Durand / Aimée Slangen)
- OCEAN ICE – Polar ocean carbon uptake and feedbacks (Ruth Mottram)
- CRiceS – The key role of sea ice and snow (Risto Makkonen)
10:00 – 10:30 | Policy panel discussion with invited stakeholders from EU institutions and Arctic/Antarctic missions
10:30 – 10:50 | Q&A with audience
10:50 – 11:00 | Closing remarks
11:00 – 11:30 | Networking coffee
🔍 Key Themes:
- Urgency of action to address polar-driven climate risks
- Sea-level rise and impacts on European coastal and infrastructure resilience
- Integration of polar science into European and global climate policy
- Europe’s role as a leader in evidence-based climate governance