Arctic under spotlight at World Economic Forum
A team of Arctic scientists – including British Antarctic Survey (BAS) climate scientist Dr Jeremy Wilkinson – are hosting their fourth Arctic Basecamp in Davos this week (20-24 January) at the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting. Their goal is to highlight climate change in the Polar Regions.
The Arctic Basecamp, provides a platform for the scientists to engage with business leaders and figures in the public eye.
On Monday (20 January), environmental activist Greta Thunberg will join the camp to launch the #UniteBehindTheScience campaign led by Christiana Figueres, previously Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and Arctic Basecamp scientists. This is aimed at highlighting the need for science and evidence-based decisions to have a bigger role when looking at impacts of climate change.
On Tuesday (21 January) Dr Jeremy Wilkinson will participate in a panel with the CEO of Google X and others to talk about the use of technology in Arctic marine science.
On Wednesday (22 January) Arctic Basecamp has a link up with the German icebreaker Polarstern frozen into the Arctic Ocean with global youth leaders to show them the science taking place on the MOSAiC project, and for them to ask questions (hopefully). In the afternoon Basecamp’s Professor Gail Whiteman is on the main stage at WEF with Al Gore and others to discuss What’s at Stake: The Arctic.
Dr Jeremy Wilkinson, a climate scientist at BAS says:
“Changes in the Arctic do not stay in the Arctic. These changes will impact us all. It is urgent to share scientific evidence with partipants at WEF. Hosting events and inviting delegates to Arctic Basecamp is key for developing relationships to ensure scientific research underpins political and business agendas around the world.”