[Source: Ledoux Florian Photographer/Facebook]

This first international Summit devoted to glaciers and poles aims to strengthen international cooperation to preserve the cryosphere and glacial and polar biodiversity.

The major representatives of the international scientific community along with political leaders and representatives, including French President Emmanuel Macron, are to attend.

France, a polar nation
The One Planet – Polar Summit is being held to address one of the goals set in National Polar Strategy. Adopted in 2022, it sounds the alarm about the fragility of glacial and polar worlds and proposes concrete responses at the level of the international community.

Throughout history, France has made a name as a polar nation with its tradition of exploration
and expeditions, and the permanent presence of French scientists in the two poles. Since 2000,
it has been an Arctic Council observer. During the International Polar Year (2007-2008), France
was involved in 60 research projects focused on polar nations to raise awareness about the
sensitive nature of the poles, which are strongly impacted by climate change. France ranks 9th
globally in terms of scientific publications about the Arctic and Antarctic, and more specifically
5th in terms of the Antarctic.

French Ambassador for the Poles
Since 2020, Olivier Poivre d’Arvor has served as the Ambassador for the Poles and Maritime
Issues. He is also President Macron’s Special Envoy to the United Nations Ocean Conference
in 2025.

In 2023, the Ambassador participated in the annual Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavik,
Iceland, where a light was shone on the responsibility of the States in the region and the
European Union in environmental protection and the effects of climate change.
In line with these concerns, he presented the One Planet – Polar Summit, dedicated to the
preservation of the cryosphere and adaptation of its ecosystems.
The protection of glaciers and the poles, a focus of debates
The Arctic and Antarctica are two major strategic geographical areas that are indispensable to
regulating the climate and preserving biodiversity globally. The consequences of climate
change, which is causing ice to melt and sea levels to rise, are making the affected populations
and ecosystems more vulnerable.
Some figures
Since 1994, the rate at which ice is melting rose by 65%, from 800 billion tonnes per year to
1.3 trillion in 2017. The United Nations, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and
France are sounding the alarm about the exponential melting of ice in the Arctic and Antarctic,
a problem that requires immediate action by the international community.
To be held at the French National Museum of History, the One Planet – Polar Summit will bring
together the international scientific community in order to establish a long-term strategy for
the protection and adaptation of glacial and polar biodiversity and populations.
The purpose of this Summit is to together rally support from all the actors in the public,
private and economic sectors by engaging with political leaders and experts from indigenous
and local communities who are directly impacted.
That is why this Summit has invited scientific researchers to attend from some 40 glacial and
polar countries, as well as experts from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
(IPBES).
The aim is for them to share their observations and their conclusions on actions to be conducted
to protect the populations and ecosystems of the poles and glaciers, and help them adapt to the
collapse of the cryosphere.
Lastly, on 10 November, the Heads of State and Government of the countries concerned,
including Emmanuel Macron, will discuss fresh cooperation opportunities for the protection
and adaptation of these regions, the impacts of climate change on the populations living in the
poles and on glaciers, and finance for action to save the cryosphere.

The One Planet – Polar Summit is being held from 8 to 10 November 2023 in Paris.