In April 2024, EU-PolarNet 2, in collaboration with the European Polar Board and the Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels, launched a white paper featuring 80 actionable policy-level recommendations aimed at enhancing international collaboration in polar observations.

Find the white paper here.

Lymer, G., Badhe, R., Elshout, P., Larsen, J. R., Savela, H., Scory, S., Spadetto, V., & EU-PolarNet 2. (2024). EU-PolarNet 2 White paper with recommendations to accelerate the development of a sustained and fully integrated Polar observing system.

A policy briefing 'From changing Polar regions to policy responses – Strengthening EU and global climate preparedness' organised by the European Polar Board (EPB) with assistance from the European Parliament Intergroup European Bureau for Conservation and Development (EBCD) on behalf of the EU funded projects OCEAN:ICE and Arctic PASSION took place on 24th Janaury 2024 at the European Parliament.

A policy brief 'The Changing Poles: how Antarctic and Arctic science helps to inform and prepare the EU for changes in sea level rise and the global climate' can be found here or on Zenodo.

The aim of this brief is to convey the findings and goals of OCEAN:ICE and Arctic PASSION projects, the challenges still present, and the importance of sustained and committed EU research funding for polar science into the future. The associated policy briefing has provided an open forum for influential Europeans to enter into a dialogue with key European polar scientists. The session has demonstrated the dramatic climatedriven changes that are occurring in polar regions, along with their global impact. It has also provided evidence of how an inclusive, sustained observing system can inform ambitious mitigation and adaptation efforts.

Find video recording from the policy briefing on the EPB YouTube channel

Find the event report here.

The strategy was developed with an inclusive approach based on input from all EPB Members, who met in Bologna for the EPB Strategy Retreat in June 2022.

“This Strategy reflects EPB’s capabilities and priorities for the coming 5 years. The EPB remains proud of its growth in nearly three decades, and we are confident that this Strategy will maintain the momentum we have built so far.” as stated by Dr N Biebow, EPB’s Chair & Dr R Badhe, EPB’s Executive secretary (Strategy 2023-2027, p.3).

The new Strategy highlights the three pillars to the EPB’s work: Coordination, Collaboration and Communication. Find the whole EPB’s Strategy 2023–2027 here.

The report was drafted by members of the EPB’s Action Group on Environmental Impacts of Polar Research and Logistics. The report details the potential environmental impacts of polar research and offers many best practices on how to minimise potential impacts. It also considers legal frameworks that apply to the polar regions and includes a catalogue of already-existing guidelines on how to minimise environmental impacts in the polar regions. The unique aspect of this report is its synthesis of both the Arctic and Antarctic region, concerning minimising environmental impacts of polar research.

The report is publically available here.

The report is also available on the Zenodo website.

During the Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) 2023 in Vienna, Polar Research Communications Meeting took place on 21st February 2023. 20 in-person and 7 online communications specialists representing a broad range of communities interested in polar research communications (including EU Polar Cluster members and non-members) came together and shared knowledge and best practices on various polar research communications’ related topics.

The document is publically available in the Ocean Best Practices System (OBPS).

European polar research ranks among the best in the world, and the programs responsible for it recognise the unique role they play in helping decision-makers tackle climate change. Short-term price increases such as that seen in 2022 cannot be allowed to impact the viability of polar infrastructure, nor the long-term collaborations and projects being pursued to carry European polar research into the future.

The Policy Brief on the Impacts of High Fuel Prices on Polar Research was published in November 2022 by Plenary of the European Polar Board as a response to increasing fuel prices having impact on polar research.

Find the Policy brief here or on the EPB website.

The European Polar Infrastructure Catalogue includes a total of 64 European polar facilities, 32 in the Antarctic and 32 in the Arctic.

The European Polar Infrastructure Catalogue was compiled by Joseph Nolan (EPB) and coordinated by Yves Frenot (Institut Polaire Francais Paul Emile Victor (IPEV)) and Gonçalo Vieira (Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning (IGOT), University of Lisbon) as co-leads of task 3.1 of EU-PolarNet. Other contributors to the development of the database and maps were Luis Encalada (IGOT), Carla Mora (IGOT), Pedro Freitas (IGOT) and Renuka Badhe (EPB). Graphic design, layout and data input work for the European Polar Infrastructure Catalogue was completed by Blue Lobster (www. bluelobster.co.uk).

To view the European Polar Infrastructure Catalogue, click here. The online European Polar Infrastructure Database can be viewed here.

Find more information here.