Protect Our Winters Launches Campaign for the International Year of Glacier Preservation
Glaciers are disappearing at an alarming rate. Following 2024, the hottest year on record, urgent action is needed to protect the world’s frozen water towers.
Glaciers are disappearing at an alarming rate. Following 2024, the hottest year on record, urgent action is needed to protect the world’s frozen water towers.
Protect Our Winters (POW) has launched an International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation (IYGP 2025) campaign. Their aim is to raise awareness, mobilise communities, and push policymakers to act on the accelerating loss of glaciers and its devastating impact on water security, ecosystems, and mountain cultures.
Glaciers store 75% of the world’s freshwater, yet they are melting faster than ever. In just two summers, the Alps lost 10% of their remaining ice. The consequences are global, impacting water supply for billions, increasing the frequency of natural disasters, and threatening biodiversity. Scientists warn that if current trends continue, glaciers could lose up to 52% of their mass by 2100.
“You can think of snow as a water reservoir. With increasing temperatures, this reservoir is melting earlier.” said Dr. Giulia Mazzotti, a snow scientist, who added, “So we may have more water earlier in spring, but this water will be missing later in the summer.”
POW aims to activate its global community through a series of events, advocacy efforts, and educational initiatives.
Key Campaign Moments
Having already screened DOWNSTREAM at UNESCO HQ and at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, as part of the first-ever World Day for Glaciers, April 8 will see DOWNSTREAM screening at the EU Parliament in Brussels, bringing the science directly to policymakers then on April 25 the campaign finale at ChangeNOW ‘Glacier Night’ in Paris, where athletes, scientists, and climate leaders will push the conversation forward.
How to Get Involved
POW is calling on individuals, businesses, and policymakers to take action:
1. Spread the word — Tag @protectourwinterseurope, and if applicable, your POW chapter. Use the hashtags #glacierpreservation #glaciers2025 #IYGP2025
- Demand action from policymakers. Glacier preservation isn’t optional—it’s essential.
3. Every vote counts. Whenever you have the chance: Go out and vote!
4. Join and support your national POW chapter.
5. Watch DOWNSTREAM and recommend it to your family and friends.
“The International Year of Glacier Preservation must become a wake-up call for everyone. The outdoor community, scientists, and policymakers must join forces to turn awareness into concrete action,” said Jonas Schneider, Executive Director at POW Europe
