Adapting to the changing cryosphere and sea-level rise: recommendations

This policy brief summarizes the outcomes of the PROTECT full track, emphasizing key messages and recommendations derived from these 10 factsheets:

1. Glaciers will keep losing mass, but we decide how fast and how much

2. Every glacierized region evolves differently under climate change, and so do the impacts

3. Ice shelf ocean melting and iceberg calving control the accelerated mass loss of the Antarctic Ice Sheet

4. Future sea level: the enduring legacy of Antarctic ice loss

5. The Greenland Ice Sheet is losing its protective firn buffer, accelerating mass loss.

6. Regional sea level change is different from the global average

7. Sea level is committed to rise until 2300, but we can influence how much and how fast

8. Navigating uncertainty: adapting to sea-level rise with flexible strategies

9. Impacts and adaptation strategies for sea-level rise by 2150

10. Shaping tomorrow's coastlines: the long-term impact of sea-level rise

Key messages

The cryosphere plays a critical role in the Earth's climate system. Glaciers, ice sheets, and sea levels are at the forefront of climate change impacts. Findings from PROTECT underscore the urgency of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and adopting adaptation strategies to address inevitable impacts.

• Mitigation is critical: Reducing emissions directly limits mountain glacier and ice sheets mass loss, preserving critical water resources and limiting further acceleration of sea-level rise, thus giving more time for coastal adaptation.

• Adaptation is urgent: With inevitable impacts on water availability and coastal regions, adaptation is of greatest importance.

• Regional variability matters: Climate impacts on glaciers and sea levels vary substantially across regions, requiring tailored responses.

• Uncertainties are not barriers to action: Decision science offers pathways to act amid the uncertainties, leveraging adaptation frameworks and pathways.

Acknowledgements

This policy brief is supported by the PROTECT, CoCliCo and OCEAN:ICE projects, which have received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement numbers 869304, 101003598 and 101060452 and by UK Research and Innovation. This material reflects the sole author’s view and does not represents an official position of their institutes or of the European Commission, which are not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.

Authors: Anne Chapuis, Gaël Durand and Cari Ballestros Martinez, Nicolas Champollion, Tamsin Edwards, Jochen Hinkel, Jack Heslop, Paul Holland, Matthias Huss, Nicolas Jourdain, Ann Kristin Klose, Gonéri Le Cozannet, Daniel Lincke, Victor Malagon Santos, Ben Marzeion, Ruth Mottram, Robert Nicholls, Frank Pattyn, Aimée Slangen, Rémi Thiéblemont, Michiel van den Broeke, Vanessa Völz, Ricarda Winkelman, Harry Zekollari

Editing: Anne Chapuis