AGU 2026 Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences and Fifth International Polar Year Town Hall

Join PSECCO at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) meeting in San Francisco, CA, on Wednesday, December 9, 2026 at 1.00 pm to 2.00 pm PT for a town hall on a "Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences and Fifth International Polar Year".

The United Nations General Assembly has declared a “Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences (2025-2034)” to boost research and drive urgent action to protect Earth’s frozen environments. This initiative calls on scientists, governments, and communities worldwide to put science into action to address the changing cryosphere and safeguard the billions of people who depend on it. The United Nations’ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), has been tasked with coordinating this effort (www.un-cryosphere.org/en), and to develop overarching challenges, goals and implementation mechanisms.

Simultaneously, the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), International Science Council and World Meteorological Organization (WMO) are coordinating preparations for a Fifth International Polar Year (IPY5, 2032-33) to address urgent global challenges by advancing polar research, focusing on the impacts of climate change in the Arctic and Antarctic. This coordinated effort will bring together scientists, Indigenous knowledge holders, and global partners to produce actionable insights for mitigating and adapting to environmental changes, while promoting international collaboration and inclusivity (ipy5.info).

In this context, the World Climate Research Program’s Climate and Cryosphere Project, CliC, (https://climate-cryosphere.org/) proposes a town hall to seek input from the AGU community on how to best ensure these international efforts succeed. CliC is well placed to deliver this session due to its remit across the entire cryosphere, its integrated approach to climate change and societal impacts, its international visibility, and its co-sponsorship with the organizations mentioned below. Panelists from the sponsoring organizations, including WCRP-CliC, UNESCO, WMO, SCAR, IASC and IACS will briefly introduce their vision for these international efforts, field questions, and take suggestions from the audience. This town hall focuses on international cooperation in both activities and is complementary to the National Academies Polar Research Board Town Hall for discussion of IPY5 planning in the U.S.

Learn more on the AGU website.