Why the Arctic matters

The Arctic is warming faster than the rest of the planet, and is regarded as a ‘canary down the coal mine’ of climate change.

The permanent central region of the Arctic Ocean’s ice cover has receded at up to 10% per decade since 1979 – currently an area the size of the UK is disappearing every ten years. The last two summers have seen the lowest coverage of summer sea ice ever recorded.

This threatens the region’s fragile ecosystems, which support wildlife like the iconic polar bear, which was recently listed as threatened by the US government based on projections for the disappearance of the ice.

There’s a global impact too. The white ‘shield’ of floating sea ice reflects around 80% of incoming solar energy. When it melts, it’s replaced by a vast area of dark ocean water, which absorbs more of the sun’s rays. This causes ocean temperatures to rise at an accelerated rate, and plays a part in unpredictable changes to weather patterns.

Shrinking sea ice

Watch the video showing the shrinkage of Arctic sea ice from 1979 to 2007

How you can help

• Campaign with us for a strong global climate deal