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The November 2019 survey indicates that 72% of Americans believe global warming is happening, with 59% attributing it to human activities. While 66% express worry and 64% believe it affects U.S. weather, social engagement remains low, as 59% rarely or never discuss the topic with family and friends. There is a notable gap in understanding scientific consensus, with only 22% aware that over 90% of climate scientists agree on human-caused warming.

The document outlines the accelerating degradation of the Earth's cryosphere and oceans due to climate change. It details the rapid loss of ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica, the thawing of permafrost, and the warming, acidification, and deoxygenation of the global oceans. These changes drive sea level rise, threaten biodiversity, and disrupt essential services like freshwater supply from mountain glaciers and food security from fisheries. The briefing emphasizes that while some damage is irreversible, cutting emissions can reduce risks and facilitate adaptation for vulnerable coastal and indigenous populations.

The document describes Arctic wetlands as critical ecosystems that store vast amounts of carbon and support biodiversity and Indigenous livelihoods. It warns that climate-driven permafrost degradation and human activities like drainage turn these areas into a 'time bomb' by releasing greenhouse gases and toxic mercury. Conversely, it argues that restoration and conservation can serve as a 'saving grace' for climate mitigation and adaptation. The briefing highlights the need for better wetland inventories and comparative analysis of management strategies to improve governance across Arctic states.

The report examines the 'Blue Economy' of the Arctic, categorizing its resources into extractive, renewable, biological, connective, and experiential types. It highlights the immense investment potential—estimated up to US$1 trillion—and the accompanying risks of ecological collapse and social vulnerability. Through a SWOT analysis, the document identifies rapid climate change and a reliance on fossil fuel extraction as primary threats, while noting opportunities in the 'Blue Bio-Economy' and the potential to build sustainable infrastructure from the start. It concludes with six key recommendations for governments, investors, and Indigenous Peoples to ensure long-term ecosystem resilience and inclusive governance.

The WWF Polar Bear CAP Scorecard evaluates the initial implementation of the Circumpolar Action Plan from 2015 to 2017. It finds that while individual Range States have made progress in areas like population surveys and trade monitoring, overall progress is slow, with only 5% of total CAP actions completed. The report highlights significant gaps in joint circumpolar collaboration, transparency, and the integration of Traditional Ecological Knowledge, while urging a more strategic approach to address the primary threat of climate-driven sea ice loss.

Friends of the Earth International asserts that the current global energy model, dominated by fossil fuels and corporate-led 'false solutions', is driving a planetary emergency. The statement criticizes the Paris Agreement as insufficient and legally unenforceable, calling for urgent emission reductions by wealthy nations and a shift toward decentralized, community-led energy systems.

The document outlines twelve key signs of climate change, including rising global, ocean, and soil temperatures, increasing ocean acidity, and rising sea levels. It attributes these phenomena to the buildup of heat-trapping gases caused by the burning of fossil fuels and the destruction of tropical forests. The text highlights specific regional impacts, such as the rapid warming of the Gulf of Maine and the thawing of permafrost in the Arctic, and notes the resulting increase in extreme weather events and shifts in species ranges.

The Arctic Resilience Assessment Synthesis for Arctic Leaders 2017 argues that building resilience in the Arctic requires an integrated understanding of social-ecological systems and coordinated action across local, national, and circumpolar scales. While the primary drivers of change are global, the document emphasizes that resilience-building must occur within the Arctic through integrated monitoring, knowledge integration—specifically bridging Indigenous and scientific knowledge—and increasing the capacity of local communities to shape their own development. It identifies 19 instances where climate change and other drivers could trigger abrupt, irreversible shifts and proposes a roadmap via the Arctic Resilience Action Framework to coordinate these efforts.

The study evaluates the Arctic Council's ability to function as a learning organization. It finds that while the Council successfully bridged local and global policy on persistent organic pollutants (POPs), it has struggled to reframe its role and structure to effectively address climate change and the social impacts of extractive industries. The authors argue that 'governance fit' should be viewed as an organization's capacity for learning and adaptation rather than a fixed match between the scale of a problem and the scope of the governing body.

The report identifies polar bears as highly vulnerable to climate change due to their extreme dependence on sea ice for hunting, mating, and traveling. While the species possesses some genetic diversity and mobility, these are offset by a low reproductive rate, long generation time, and the rapid decline of Arctic sea ice, which is projected to be nearly ice-free in the summer before mid-century. Key recommendations include protecting the "last ice areas" in northern Greenland and the Canadian Archipelago, increasing population monitoring, and managing rising human-wildlife conflict as bears spend more time on land.

The document argues that the Arctic is warming faster than the rest of the globe and will experience a temperature increase of 3.75C to nearly 5C even if the Paris Agreement targets are met. This amplification leads to critical global feedbacks, including sea level rise from the Greenland ice sheet and the release of carbon from thawing permafrost. The authors call for an immediate scale-up of decarbonization, the development of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies, and the establishment of a strategic, stakeholder-driven adaptation program for Arctic societies. It also emphasizes the need for a coordinated Arctic Observing System with early warning components to track rapid changes and the creation of a unified Arctic coalition to influence global climate policy.

The document advocates for a regional phase-out of Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) in the Arctic, noting that 96 percent of large ships in the region use this toxic fuel. It highlights the role of black carbon emissions in accelerating Arctic ice melt and the extreme difficulty of cleaning up HFO spills in remote, cold environments. The author calls on the Obama administration to use the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to address these risks, specifically by submitting a comment paper by September 2, 2016.

Jamestown Island, the site of the first permanent English colony in North America, faces an existential threat from rising sea levels and severe storm surges. Much of the land is less than five feet above water and is sinking due to groundwater extraction. Local sea levels are rising at more than twice the global average, with projections suggesting a rise of up to six feet by the end of the century. The area is highly vulnerable to stronger North Atlantic storms, as evidenced by Hurricane Isabel in 2003, which caused $20 million in damages to the Colonial National Historical Park and threatened nearly a million artifacts. While the National Park Service has implemented protections like riprap and is monitoring sea level rise, some areas, such as a corner of the original Jamestown Fort, have already been lost.

The policy brief asserts that global climate success depends on the 20 largest emitting nations adopting a small set of high-impact policies across four sectors: electricity, buildings, industry, and transportation. It emphasizes that policy design is critical to avoid inefficiencies and suggests the use of 'Best Practice Networks' (BPNs) to provide technical expertise to governments to ensure these policies are effectively implemented.

The report analyzes the intersection of climate change, World Heritage sites, and tourism, arguing that climate change acts as a 'threat multiplier' that degrades the outstanding universal value (OUV) of these sites while simultaneously threatening the tourism economies that depend on them. Through 30 case studies across 29 countries, it demonstrates that impacts range from glacier melt and sea-level rise to increased wildfire regimes and ocean acidification. The document emphasizes that while sustainable tourism can support conservation, unplanned development often increases site vulnerability. It concludes with recommendations for intergovernmental organizations, governments, and site managers to integrate climate science into management plans, reduce tourism's carbon footprint, and empower local and indigenous communities in adaptation efforts.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) argues that while the Arctic possesses vast renewable energy reserves and successful technology tests, adoption remains slow. To accelerate this transition, the IISD proposes clear long-term targets, the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies—specifically subsidized diesel—and the establishment of public-private partnerships funded by environmental taxes.

The document outlines the IPCC WGII AR5 findings, emphasizing that climate risk is a product of hazards, exposure, and vulnerability. It advocates for a 'solution space' for adaptation that includes structural, institutional, and social measures, while noting that adaptation has limits and must be paired with strong mitigation to avoid irreversible tipping points.

The report examines Greenland's approach to sustainable development amidst rising international interest in its petroleum, minerals, and rare earth resources. While it praises the adoption of 'best-in-class' environmental and social impact assessments, it warns of gaps in emergency preparedness, dispute resolution, and the potential for a 'two-tier wage system' for migrant workers. The authors argue that Greenland must diversify its economy beyond extractives and improve its capacity to negotiate with powerful global investors to avoid the 'natural resource curse'.

The document details how global average sea level has risen 8 inches since 1880, noting that the US East Coast and Gulf of Mexico are hotspots due to ocean current changes and land subsidence. It highlights the accelerating role of land ice melt—which contributed 75 to 80 percent of the total increase between 2003 and 2007—and asserts that future sea level rise will be primarily driven by the loss of ice sheets in Greenland and West Antarctica.

The document explains that global sea level has risen approximately eight inches since the Industrial Revolution, driven primarily by thermal expansion and the melting of land ice due to global warming. It highlights that the U.S. East and Gulf coasts are experiencing some of the world's fastest rates of rise. Projections for 2100 range from 8 inches to 6.6 feet, with significant risks of permanent inundation, amplified storm surges, and shoreline erosion for over 100 million Americans living in coastal counties. The report argues that while adaptation is necessary, reducing heat-trapping emissions is the most effective way to limit the pace and magnitude of future sea level rise.