March 20, 2025 Why 2025 is a make-or-break year for the world’s glaciers

Following the hottest year ever recorded, Protect Our Winters has launched the International Year of Glacier Preservation. With a global rollout of events, screenings and advocacy, find out how you or your company can get involved.

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. Whilst the joint celebration of the first World Day for Glaciers and World Water Day (20–21 March) takes place, Protect Our Winters (POW) launches its International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation (IYGP 2025) campaign. The POW campaign will raise awareness, mobilize communities, and push policymakers to act on the accelerating loss of glaciers and its devastating impact on water security, ecosystems, and mountain cultures.

Why glaciers matter and why now

Glaciers store 75 percent of the world’s freshwater, yet they are melting faster than ever. In just two summers, the Alps lost 10 percent 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 percent 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.

“So we may have more water earlier in spring, but this water will be missing later in the summer.”

Events mobilizing outdoor voices and science

Over the next five weeks, POW will activate its global community through a series of events, advocacy efforts, and educational initiatives.

Key moments include:

• March 20: Screening of Downstream at UNESCO HQ in Paris for World Water Day
• March 21: Downstream featured at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on the first-ever World Day for Glaciers
• April 8: Screening at the EU Parliament in Brussels, bringing science to policymakers
• April 25: Campaign finale at ChangeNOW “Glacier Night” in Paris, uniting athletes, scientists, and climate leaders

Take action to protect glaciers

Protect Our Winters is urging individuals, businesses, and policymakers to act now. People are encouraged to spread the word by tagging @protectourwinterseurope and their local POW chapters on social media, using the hashtags #glacierpreservation, #glaciers2025, and #IYGP2025. The campaign calls for increased pressure on policymakers, highlighting that glacier preservation is not optional but essential.

Voters are reminded that every election is an opportunity to prioritize climate issues. Joining a national POW chapter and engaging with local initiatives is another way to get involved. Finally, the campaign promotes Downstream—a film that explains the science and urgency behind glacier loss—and encourages audiences to watch and share it widely.

Explore the campaign: protectourwinters.eu/international-year-of-glacier-preservation

Lead Photo: Huw James