PolarRES factsheets explain how climate change is transforming the Polar Regions

7 November 2025

PolarRES introduces a new series of factsheets presenting key policy-relevant findings on how climate change is transforming the Arctic and Antarctic environments and societies. Drawing on PolarRES research these factsheets translate scientific research into accessible insights for policymakers, scientists, and communities working to understand and respond to the far-reaching consequences of polar change.

The factsheets support the overall objective of PolarRES: to deepen understanding of local- to regional-scale processes that govern ocean–atmosphere–ice (O–A–I) interactions, their responses to different climate storylines, and their implications for ecosystems, economies, and communities within and beyond the Polar Regions.

Using high-resolution regional climate model outputs, the studies evaluate the impacts of changing climate conditions across six topics central to PolarRES impact assessment:

• Boreal wildfires
• Permafrost thaw
• Radionuclides
• Marine ecosystems
• Trans-Arctic navigation
• Extreme weather and climate events in the Arctic

Read the factsheets below.